NC Penguin

There are 12 US states that have a two? day sales tax holiday for purchases of student related items.

NC is one such state but I would like to know if anyone has really benefitted or intends to benefit by shopping for kids stuff during this sales tax free period.

Two years ago, we tried to benefit by buying our laser printer during the tax holiday period but the printer was an exempt item (due to price?).

DaveC

This weekend in Texas it's a clothing sales tax weekend ostensibly for back to school purposes. However, my wife and I will be hitting the local outlet mall early on to shop for clothes, shoes etc for us, as we did last year. We do have a baby this time around so we'll no doubt be taking advantage of the tax free nappies and such like. I think the Texas tax holiday is solely for clothing and related items under $100 - no electrical items as far as I'm aware.

Ray

Florida had its tax free sales last week
But from the 1-31 Aug ..there is an 8c reduction in gas tax to help us poor people...

scrubbedexpat099

Try Delaware -

They have a Sales Tax Free Year

(Or buy of the Web)

a lad insane

Yeah, I'm moving there next month - problem is my wife will just buy more stuff...you know the logic - "Yeah, it cost £200 but we actually saved 10%"........

marlborobell

In Massachusetts there's going to be a sales tax holiday (for pretty much all goods) on August 14th -- but I've seen almost no publicity about it. I suspect a load of retailers just won't do it because they won't know about it, and I just took a quick poll of my colleagues, and none of them know about it.

What exactly is the point of a sales tax holiday if nobody knows about it ten days before it's due to happen??

syllk

As Boiler mentioned, buy online...as long as you buy a product from a state other than the one you're in, there's no sales tax at all.

Ray

Not quite as easy as that...its normally only if the company you are buying from has no business in the state you are living in ..
but even some of them have tax agreements.. in theory you are supposed to send the money you have not paid... direct to your state treasury ..and amazingly some people do ...

syllk

Very true. At the time I posted, I was thinking more of NC Penguin's original comment about the laser printer, and there are plenty of online electronics stores that are physically based in one state alone (and hence don't charge tax).


Now I do find that amazing...some people are just too damn honest for their own good! Now why can't the rest of the tax system be honour-based, it would make things so much simpler...

Ray

And the State of florida kindly supply the form you need to send your money in with ....must do mine this weekend..
http://www.myflorida.com/dor/consumer/

scrubbedexpat099

So does Colorado, includes a line for 10% penalty if you have declared late. And another line for Penalty Interest. Must find out how much this produces.

There is a de minimis of $300.

BUT you also have to contact your local City to see what there policy is and make a suitable declaration.

Remember, ignorance of the law is no defence!