Back-to-school sales tax holiday to be held July 17-19
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By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
As families prepare for children to return to school in less than a month, they will once again have the opportunity to save a little money on school supplies and school-related items purchased next weekend.
Alabama will hold its twentieth annual back-to-school sales tax holiday beginning at 12:01 a.m. next Friday, July 17, and ending at midnight Sunday, July 19.
The event is intended to give shoppers the opportunity to purchase certain school supplies, books, computers, and clothing free of the 4% state sales tax. Many counties and municipalities also give shoppers a tax break on those items by choosing to participate in the tax holiday, as well.
Locally, Coosa County is participating in the sales tax holiday following approval from the County Commission. Additionally, all three of the county’s municipalities – Goodwater, Kellyton and Rockford – voted to participate in the tax holiday, as well.
This means shoppers in Coosa County and in those three towns will not have to pay state, county, or local sales taxes on eligible items purchased next weekend.
Eligible clothing items are tax-exempt up to $156 per article of clothing suitable for general use. While not an all-inclusive list, some of the listed eligible items include belts, boots, coats, diapers, dresses, gym suits, hats, jackets, jeans, neckties, pajamas, pants, raincoats, school uniforms, shirts, shoes, socks, sneakers, underwear, and more.
Clothing accessories, protective equipment and sports or recreational equipment are noneligible and will still be subject to state and local taxes.
Computers, computer software and school computer supplies are eligible with a single purchase with a sales price of $1,173 or less.
Eligible items include computers, computer software and school computer supplies, such as computer storage media, handheld electronic schedulers, printers, printer supplies such as paper and printer ink, and personal digital assistants.
Noneligible items include furniture, video games of a non-educational nature and any systems, devices, software, or peripherals designed or intended primarily for recreational use.
Books, such as textbooks, are eligible for the tax break if they have a sale price of $47 or less per book.
Many school supplies, school art supplies and school instructional materials are also eligible. Those items must have a sale price of $78 or less per item.
Eligible school supplies include binders, book bags, calculators, composition books, crayons, folders, glue, highlighters, index cards, legal pads, lunchboxes, markers, notebooks, paper, pencil sharpeners, pencils, pens, rulers, scissors, and more.
School art supplies that are eligible are clay and glazes, paints, paintbrushes for artwork, and sketch and drawing pads.
Eligible school instructional materials are reference maps and globes, as well as required textbooks on an official schoolbook list with a sales price of more than $47 and less than $78.
For more sales tax holiday resources visit alabamaretail.org/alabamasalestaxholidays to find a reference sheet of tax-exempt items, a full list of participating counties and municipalities and more information to help guide shoppers through the sales tax holiday.
Additionally, shoppers and families can contact the Alabama Sales and Use Tax Division at 334-242- 1490 or 866-576-6531 or visit alabamaretail.org/resources/salestaxholidays/back-to-school for more information.
