Indiana's state tax collections continue to run well ahead of a year ago, with last month's revenue nearly 5 percent greater than in December 2010.

Figures released Thursday by the State Budget Agency show that the nearly $1.2 billion collected was also $12 million more than what was projected in the state's most recent revenue forecast. The agency attributes most of the revenue increase to jumps in sales tax and individual income tax collections.

State budget director Adam Horst says the higher revenues during the first six months of the current budget year have put the state 9.2 percent ahead of its collections for the same period a year earlier.