Upcoming July tax holiday offers consumers way to save
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Special to the News
Alabama parents and others plan to take advantage of the savings associated with Alabama’s back-to-school sales tax holiday next weekend.
According to the National Retail Federation, parents of kindergarten through high school students plan to spend almost $900, while families with children in college plan to spend almost $1,400 for back-to-school needs this year.
Alabama’s eighteenth annual back-to-school sales tax holiday is July 21-23. This marks the seventh time the annual tax holiday will take place during the third weekend of July.
From 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 21, until midnight, Sunday, July 23, the state waives its 4% sales tax on school-related supplies and clothing. More than 325 cities and counties throughout Alabama also waive their local taxes. In some areas, the savings reach 10 percent.
Locally, Coosa County and the municipalities of Goodwater, Kellyton and Rockford all are also participating in this year’s back-to-school sales tax holiday. This means those shopping locally will not be charged state, county, or local sales taxes on any of the eligible tax-exempt items.
To see the list of other 2023 participating cities and counties, visit www.revenue.alabama.gov/sales-use/alabama-back-to-school-sales-tax-holiday-participating-localities.
Among other products and supplies, examples of exempt items include:
- Clothing priced at $100 or less per article
- School supplies valued at $50 or less per item
- Books that cost $30 or less each
- Tablets, laptops, computers, and printers with a selling price of $750 or less
The sales tax holiday provides shoppers a way to save money and support their local economies, especially those local businesses that sell the covered items exclusively, such as shoe, children’s apparel, school supply, book, and computer stores.
“The sales tax holiday offers parents a way to save on back-to-school needs,” said Alabama Retail Association President Rick Brown. “Saving money for consumers while stimulating sales for stores is what this weekend is all about.”
Although the sales tax holiday targets back-to-school shoppers, any consumer can benefit from the savings offered during the weekend. A wide range of items are exempt during the holiday, so there is a reason for everyone to shop.
Some of the widely needed items include diapers, printer ink, thumb or flash drives, printer paper, and art supplies.
For a full and comprehensive list of tax-exempt items, visit www.revenue.alabama.gov/ultraviewer/viewer/basic_viewer/index.html?form=2023/03/2023-Back-to-School-Sales-Tax-Holiday-Fact-Sheet.pdf.
The Alabama Retail Association encourages shoppers to buy from local retailers by promoting the use of the #ShopAlabama hashtag.
“Shopping with businesses that have a physical presence in your local area keeps businesses open and your neighbors employed,” said Brown.
Learn more at https://alabamaretail.org/resources/salestaxholidays/back-to-school.