Franklin County Times

With the start of the new school year less than a month away, parents know there will be a long list of school supplies they’ll have to purchase, but luckily they’ll have a chance to save where they can with the upcoming sales tax holiday set for next weekend.

The state of Alabama’s annual tax-free weekend is set for August 2-4.

State sales tax will be waived on many items starting at 12:01 a.m. Friday, August 2, and ending at midnight on Sunday.

This will be the eighth year the state has participated in the sales tax holiday, which was started as a way to help parents and students who have to buy many different school supplies at the beginning of each school year.

Franklin County resident Jacob Robinson and his wife, Erin, have two school-age children to buy supplies for, so he said the tax-free weekend is a great opportunity to save.

“Saving just a few bucks on clothes and school supplies allows us to save more money for other things,” Robinson said.

“With two kids to buy clothes and school supplies for, it’s a no brainer to save what money we can. I also buy things for myself like flash drives and office supplies, or clothes for the entire family.

“You’ve got to know your prices, but if it’s a good deal, the tax-free weekend is the time to get a lot of these items.”

The Franklin County Commission passed a resolution after the first sales tax holiday was announced in 2006 stipulating the county would participate each year the statewide sales tax holiday was held, which means county sales tax will be lifted this weekend.

The cities of Russellville, Red Bay and Phil Campbell all passed resolutions or ordnances to participate in the holiday, which means city sales tax will be lifted in those areas as well.

“This is a great opportunity for our residents to save money and to support local businesses,” Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Director Cassie Medley said.

“I know when I’m shopping for my two kids, if I find a good deal, I always try to take advantage of it.

“This weekend, Franklin County residents will have the chance to avoid state, county and even city sales taxes and they can do it all right here without having to drive a long distance, so I hope many residents will take advantage of this great opportunity.”

In anticipation of the large crowds looking to save money this weekend, many local stores in the area stock up on items like backpacks, pencils, notebooks and other supplies that people will need once school starts back on Aug. 19.

In addition to being a shopper on the tax-free weekend, Robinson also works in retail and he said this is one of the busier times each year.

“Tax free weekend is exactly like Black Friday where I work,” Robinson said. “The only difference is the time the crowds arrive.

“Most people shopping for electronics seem to arrive later in the morning on the tax-free weekend after shopping for clothes, so my advice is if you want a great deal on computers or software, come early.”

According to the Alabama Department of Revenue, items that will be exempt from taxes during the sales tax holiday include clothing items that cost $100 or less per item such as belts, hats, coats, shoes, jeans, shirts, dresses, diapers, underwear, socks and pajamas.

The list of tax-exempt items also includes supplies such as computers, computer printers, printer supplies, binders, calculators, notebooks, scissors, backpacks, crayons, pencils, pens, and art supplies.

Items such as cosmetics, handbags, cell phones, jewelry, magazines, furniture, video games, wallets or sports equipment are not included in the sales tax holiday.

Many other specific items will be tax exempt this weekend. For a complete list of exempt and non-exempt items, visit http://revenue.alabama.gov/salestax/SalesTaxHol.htm.