Time for some back-to-school shopping? If you live in one of these 12 states, you can shop tax-free for the weekend.
If you’re searching for some last-minute back-to-school deals, this weekend is a good time to hit the mall. According to a report from the Next Digit, consumers in 12 different states will be relieved of the sales tax on a long list of products including school supplies and clothing.
The savings will vary from state to state, but consumers can expect to save 5 to 10 percent on their purchases. 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.
Further north, states like Massachusetts and Maryland will hold sales tax holidays later in the month of August.
Consumers can expect to see taxes dropped for all school supplies and clothing that are not bought at a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging or an airport. Although it’s unclear who might head to the movies to stock up on school supplies, a souvenir T-shirt will still be taxed.
By some estimates, back-to-school shoppers will save up to $87 million in state and local taxes this weekend, which has been ongoing every summer since 1999. Stores are not required to participate and certain stores will not lift sales taxes over the weekend. In many cases, county taxes will still apply to sales on back-to-school items.
The tax holidays offer folks to save on a wide range of items, like school supplies, clothing, footwear, and PCs and accessories for the upcoming year.
Daniel J. Brown
Daniel J. Brown (Editor-in-Chief) is a recently retired data analyst who gets a kick out of reading and writing the news. He enjoys good music, great food, and sports, with a slant towards Southern college football, basketball and professional baseball.