Items exempt from the state’s 6 percent sales tax include clothing, clothing accessories such as hats, scarves, hosiery and handbags, footwear and school supplies such as pens, pencils, paper, binders, computers and software, printers, lunch boxes and calculators. Sales tax holidays kicked off in the Southeast on Friday, in the states of Alabama, Florida, Virginia, Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Missouri.
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By combining a sales-tax holiday with coupons, taking advantage of sales, and other money-saving tactics, consumers can put a significant dent in back-to-school spending.
While JCPenney expects a major bump, small business owner Mia Suntken said she doesn’t notice an increase at her store during the sales tax holiday.
Exciting news for parents–this year the event runs for 10 days instead of one weekend! “This year, we’re urging people to buy at least some of their school clothes and supplies at small, locally-owned businesses”. Some say you can even take the savings to a whole different level.
Office Depot and OfficeMax stores in the area are fully stocked and prepared for the weekend, Senior Manager in Public Relations Julianne Embry said. Meaning while this “holiday” is really aimed at school needs, everyone in the state can save money by shopping this weekend.
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“They’re actually excited to go back to school, we’re excited”, says St. Marie. In many cases, county taxes will still apply to purchases. According to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey, families with children in grades K-12 plan to spend an average of $630 on back-to-school shopping. Qualifying items carrying either the Energy Star or WaterSense label with a sales price of $2,500 or less purchased for non-commercial home or personal use are tax-exempt eligible.
