Shop & save during sales tax holiday

By LEGISLATIVE REVIEW

From State Rep. Deborah Ferguson T his week, we want to remind you about the upcoming Arkansas Sales Tax holiday. This year, the event will begin at 12:01 am on Saturday, August 7, and end at 11:59 pm on Sunday, August 8.

This is now the 10th year that Arkansans can take advantage of this break from state and local sales tax on certain purchases.

Act 757 of 2011 provides for a sales tax holiday in Arkansas during the first weekend of August each year. A sales tax holiday is a temporary period when state and local sales taxes are not collected or paid on the purchase of certain products.

Clothing less than $100 per item is exempt during the weekend, as well as clothing accessories less than $50 per item. Clothing accessories include handbags, cosmetics, jewelry, umbrellas, and more. Most school supplies, including book bags, binders, paper, crayons, pencils, and rulers, are also exempt.

But this year, there are even more items you can purchase tax-free. In the most recent legislative session, we passed Act 944, which amended the sales tax holiday to include electronics.

Examples include a calculator, desktop computer, cell phone, e-reader, computer mouse, laptop, monitor, printer, keyboard, and tablets.

It does not include video game systems or televisions.

The sales tax holiday does include purchases made online.

The National Retail Federation estimates that this year the average family will spend more than $780 getting their children the necessary supplies and clothes to go back to school.

The sales tax holiday was created to help reduce the financial burden on families during this time. We hope you take advantage of this opportunity.

We have posted a link with all tax-exempt items on our website www.arkansas house.org.