The June-quarter financial statements, yet to be audited and finalised, were tabled on Thursday as the Assembly prepared to pass the 2014-15 budget on Thursday night.

They show the growing contribution that rates are making to the government's income, with $340 million taken in rates during the year, $50 million more than in the year before. The amount is a 17 per cent increase.

Land tax is also up on forecast and on the year before, with $79 million taken in land tax for the year, $9 million up on the year before.

The government has embarked on a long-term program to replace its revenue from stamp duty – a tax on property sales – with rates. But while stamp duty rates have fallen, the end-of-year position shows only a modest decrease in the overall amount taken by the government in stamp duty – down just 2 per cent, or $4 million overall, to $226.5 million.

But tax on insurance is down substantially, with a fall of $14 million year on year (to a total of $31 million) as the government moves to abolish the tax.

The improvement in the deficit was largely on the back of increased "sales of goods and services", plus higher grants from the Commonwealth government. Commonwealth grants were up $26 million on budget to a total of $1.84 billion.

"Sales of goods and services" refers to income from the likes of parking and licence fees, as well as cross-border health receipts from NSW patients. The government did not provide a detailed breakdown of where the increased fees in this past financial year came from, but said cross-border health receipts were up $13 million on budget. Overall the sale of goods and services brought in $57 million more than budgeted, at $503 million.

The cost of public servants has jumped by almost $80 million year on year (and is $20 million over budget) to a total $1.65 billion.