Tax-free weekend set for Aug. 1-3

Alabama’s back-to-school tax-free weekend will be held at retail stores throughout the state on Aug. 1-3. It will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 1 and end on Aug. 3 at midnight. Homewood and surrounding municipalities such as Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and Shelby County will participate in the exemption.

The weekend gives back-to-school shoppers the opportunity to buy supplies and equipment without sales tax added. 

Items that will be tax-free include but are not limited to clothing items under $100, school supplies under $50, computers and other electronics under $750, educational books under $30, and required textbooks more than $30 and less than $50. 

Several retailers will feature additional sales on top of the tax exclusion. For these businesses, the weekend represents an opportunity for significant sales.

“It increases traffic in the store and encourages everyone to come out,” a.k.a. Girl Stuff owner Dee Tipps said.

Only items with an educational value are part of the exclusion. Therefore, video games or electronics sold for recreational purposes will not be included. Some other items that are not tax-free include some clothing items such as belt-buckles sold separately, costume masks, patches/emblems and more.

For more information and detailed lists of included items, visit http://revenue.alabama.gov/salestax/SalesTaxHol.cfm.