Nye County taxable sales rose 2 percent in September 2008 compared to the year before, a rise that could be attributable to the new Home Depot store in Pahrump that opened Aug. 13.

Figures released by the Nevada Department of Taxation Monday show $41.5 million in taxable sales in Nye County during September 2008 compared to $40.69 million in September 2007. That is the opposite of the statewide trend, which showed a 5.2 percent decrease in taxable sales for September 2008 over September 2007 figures.

Taxable sales from general merchandise stores in Nye County soared 76 percent in September 2008 over figures from September 2007, from $4.3 million to $7.6 million.

Without the amnesty program, the tax department estimated the decline would have been 6.15 percent statewide.

Taxable sales in Nye County for the fiscal year beginning July 1, however, are down 2.1 percent, from $121 million to $118 million.

Nye County registered a 10.2 percent drop in taxable sales in August, from $41 million in 2007 to $36.8 million in 2008.

For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, taxable sales were down 12.4 percent in Nye County over figures in the 2006-2007 year, from $540 million to $473 million.