Tax-free weekend is on the way, and consumers are excited to save precious cash just in time for back-to-school shopping.
The big weekend–which begins on August 2 at midnight and ends at the same time on the 4th–means hundreds of items will be tax exempt, including bedding, computers, clothing, shoes, backpacks, school supplies, and several other essential items students will need for school. This time of year is right behind Christmas and Black Friday for the biggest shopping day of the year title, and the sales will save shoppers in various states millions of dollars.
Of course, there are many items that aren’t eligible for discounts, but officials in many states have said that with the popularity of tablets to replace laptops, those will now be included in the tax exempt category as long as they can’t also be used as a phone. The states offering a 2013 tax-free weekend are:
Alabama
Arkansas
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Iowa
Louisiana
Maryland
Mississippi
Missouri
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
Washington D.C.
West Virginia
You can find more info about each state’s shopping weekend here.
As of now, these states are ready to go, but a tax reform package may be about to eliminate the tax-free weekend in North Carolina. The Republicans’ tax reform bill, according to government officials, would more than offset the one-time savings consumers see during that weekend; however, merchants argue that the huge shopping days mean they can add more people to their payroll during that time.