Georgia back-to-school tax holiday begins Friday

Changes in 2015: Ohio enacted a new back-to-school tax holiday period beginning this year; shoppers in the buckeye state can save on qualifying purchases from August 7 – 9.

During the tax-free weekend, which runs from 12:01 a.m. Friday to midnight Saturday, residents can purchase a number of essential clothing items, computers and school supplies without paying the sales tax. “One study in Florida discovered that up to 20 percent of the price cut consumers thought they were receiving from the state’s sales tax holiday was actually reclaimed by retailers”. If all of that spending occurred during a sales tax holiday, a family living in a state with, say, a 6 percent sales tax would save $38.

Nonetheless, for those of us in the Merrimack and Nashoba valleys, it’s certainly a liberating feeling to thumb our noses at New Hampshire for a weekend.

Friday and Saturday Georgia shoppers can buy certain items without having to pay sales tax.

But many consumers like the tax pause and businesses see it as a boon, which makes ending the tradition politically unpalatable for the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

But opponents say the holiday primarily shifts sales that would have happened anyway, but at a different time.

The Raine family packed up their vehicle and drove from Lauderdale County to shop in Rankin County for the sales tax holiday.

She said it’s an extra incentive for shoppers looking to stock up. “No states in the Midwest have adopted them”, said Ohio Council of Retail Merchants Director of Governmental Affairs and Public Relations Lora Miller.

As Missouri and Iowa illustrate, rules vary on what products qualify for states’ sales tax holidays. For more information about discounts, shopping online and eligible items visit: www.tax.ohio.gov/sales_and_use/salestaxholiday/holidayfaq.aspx.

In order to help with the sales, some locations, such as the North Georgia Premium Outlets, are extending hours.