Massachusetts collected $3.046 billion in taxes in October, exceeding the state's budget target by $389 million, the Department of Revenue reported Nov. 4.
The preliminary total was $119 million, or 4.1%, higher than October 2025. Through the first four months of fiscal 2027, collections reached approximately $14.731 billion, up $1.721 billion, or 13.2%, from the same period a year earlier and $521 million above the year-to-date target, according to the department's monthly report.
The target, also called the benchmark, is the revenue expectation used for budget planning.
Sales and use taxes brought in $907 million, up 8.6% from October 2025. Income-tax withholding, largely collected from paychecks, totaled $1.466 billion, down 4% from a year earlier but $103 million above benchmark.
The department attributed the withholding decline to normal monthly fluctuations. It said higher sales collections partly reflected information and online-retail businesses.
October is typically a relatively small collection month because it does not include major estimated-payment deadlines. The figures remain preliminary.
