Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Reports Record Sales, Net Income in Fiscal Year 2018-19

Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) today released unaudited financial results for fiscal year 2018-19 that reflect record retail sales and record net income.  Sales in the most recently completed fiscal year total $2.67 billion (including liquor and sales taxes), a $75.2 million or 2.9 percent increase over the prior year and previous retail sales record. The PLCB has achieved year-over-year sales growth each year for at least the past two decades.

Net income for the year totaled a record $191 million, $32.8 million or 20.7 percent higher than the prior fiscal year and exceeding the PLCB’s $185.1 million cash contribution to the General Fund by nearly $6 million. The substantial increase is due mainly to increased gross profit from sales and reduced operating expenses related to workers compensation and post-employment benefits.

Contributions to state and local government beneficiaries totaled $769.9 million for the fiscal year.

Contributions to the General Fund, which finances Pennsylvania’s schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety initiatives, among other important public services, totaled $717.2 million. General Fund contributions consisted of the following:

• $381.9 million in liquor tax;
• $150.2 million in state sales tax; and
• $185.1 million in cash transfers.

Other PLCB contributions over the course of the fiscal year included the following:

• $31.3 million to the Pennsylvania State Police for liquor control enforcement efforts;
• $9.7 million in local sales taxes to Philadelphia and Allegheny county;
• $4.5 million in licensing fees returned to local municipalities; and
• $3.8 million to the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.

Additionally, the PLCB authorized $1.8 million in grants in fiscal year 2018-19 in support of Pennsylvania’s beer and wine industries and awarded $1.1 million in alcohol education grants to reduce underage and dangerous drinking.

For the year ending June 30, 2019, the PLCB’s total net position remained at negative $1.1 billion due to unfunded pension, post-employment benefit and workers compensation liabilities shared by all commonwealth agencies. The PLCB nonetheless ended fiscal year 2018-19 with very strong increases in operating profits and net income.

The PLCB is the only commonwealth enterprise fund whose financials are separately reported in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.