It’s time for everyone to give their wallets a vacation as kids go back to school.
Georgia’s four-day sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. Thursday and ends Sunday at midnight.
No state or local taxes have to be paid, said Charles Willey, spokesman for the Georgia Department of Revenue, creating a 7-cent savings per dollar on certain items.
Rome and Floyd County students return to classes Friday.
That savings is created by not assessing the state sales tax, which is 4 percent, along with omitting the 1-cent local option sales tax, the 1-cent special purpose, local option sales tax and the 1-cent local option sales tax for education.
The sales tax exemption includes articles of clothing, personal computers and general school supplies. Articles of clothing included are clothing and footwear that do not exceed a sales price of $100. Accessories such as handbags, umbrellas and jewelry are not exempt from the tax break.
A single purchase of $1,500 or less for a personal computer and personal computer related accessories are also exempt from taxes.
Merchants say they benefit from the tax-free holiday.
“We always sell a lot of PCs and laptops on tax free weekend,” said Chris Carnes, Rome Staples operations manager.
Carnes also expects a lot of customers to purchase school supplies. General school supplies with a sales price of $20 or less per item will be tax free. There is no monetary limit on the overall purchase.
“This year I expect better turnout because the tax free holiday falls before school starts in Rome, unlike last year when the timing was not as good,” said Charles Oh, manager of Komans on Broad Street. “A combination of back-to-school shoppers and those purely enthused by the tax incentive are anticipated.”
Natasha Burroughs, the marketing manager of Mount Berry Square mall, said more people are already shopping because it’s back to school time.
“A lot of the stores will be having promotions and deals,” said Burroughs. “What better time to shop than a tax free holiday?”
Teachers will receive a $100 classroom gift card from the state to help with the cost of preparing their classrooms. The gift cards will be active from Thursday through Aug. 10.
This is the seventh year Georgia has participated in a tax-free holiday. This year, there will also be an exemption for specific energy and water efficient products purchased Oct. 2-5.
What's Exempt: Articles of Clothing. The exemption applies to articles of clothing and footwear with a sales price of $100 or less per item. Clothing accessories such as handbags, umbrellas, cuff links, handkerchiefs, jewelry, key cases, wallets, watches and watch bands, and ponytail holders and/or similar hair products are not exempt. Personal Computers. A single purchase of $1,500 or less of personal computers and/or related accessories is exempt. If the single purchase exceeds $1,500, the entire transaction is taxable. General School Supplies. The exemption applies to the purchase of general school supplies with a sales price of $20 or less per item. The exemptions are intended for an individual’s personal use. The exemptions exclude items rented, leased, purchased by businesses, or purchased for resale. The exemptions do not apply to items sold at theme parks, entertainment complexes, hotels, restaurants and airports.
Source: Georgia Department of Revenue
