The first weekend in August – this year, August 1 through August 3 – is designated as a sales tax holiday. According to the Virginia Department of Taxation website:
During this three-day period, purchases of qualifying school supplies selling for $20 or less per item, and purchases of qualifying clothing and footwear selling for $100 or less per item will be exempt from sales tax.
The list of “qualifying supplies” is here (pdf) and “qualifying clothing” is here (pdf). Hmm – musical instruments are on the supplies list. Strange – not many musical instruments cost less than $20.
Does anybody find it strange that steel toed shoes made the list but tool belts didn’t? If you were taking a shop class, wouldn’t you need both?
This is the second of three sales tax holidays. The next one comes in October and covers Energy Star qualified products.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Cosmetics are one there? Heck, I’m gonna hit the Chanel counter this weekend 🙂
I find it ironic that textbooks are on there as they are already tax exempt (Thanks to Glenn Oder!)
I also find it pretty funny that it is only textbooks under $20 that are included. With the example of some elementary school books- $20 won’t even touch most textbooks.
Where was this tax break on musical instruments selling for $20 or less when I needed to buy ten pair of drum sticks every year? 😦
Silence,
I would have loved the break on sheet music too- man, I spent a LOT of $$ on sheet music!
Who would have thought if you gave people a tax break, they might spend more money? wow!! what a concept!
What is with having corsets, girdles and wedding apparel on the back to school list?
Also-Cosmetics are on the NOT exempt list.
Dang VA Breeze, I thought I saw it on there.
Guess no Chanel or MAC for me 😦
The one that is really stupid is the October one. Who is going to wait for a tax-free weekend to buy a new washer and dryer if you need one now? (Like we did about a month ago)
I can’t see an advantage unless what you are buying is in the high dollar range. I mean, how much can you save on $20/item of office supplies? (unless you are buying a lot of $20 items) I did forget, however, that some of you live in areas with high sales taxes. Of course, out here in BFE, there is no place to buy anything, but if there were, there would be no tax on it!!
How much gas would I use going to Office Max in Richmond?
$20 @ 10% = $2.00 savings, or about half a gallon of gas.
Isn’t it your duty, Vivian, as a good Democrat, to pay taxes whenever possible, to support all the social programs? 🙂
With you there, Mark. Silly gimmick.
Mark & BM,
it must really bother you to see people saving money from lower taxes! What a novel idea! It couldn’t possibly show results if they did this all year!!
Oh thank God. rlewis has shared his opinion. I was worried we weren’t going to be entitled to it.
Oh thank God! As usual, no solid response or solution to taxes, typical Dem speaking out of both sides of the mouth. Just like Obama, who is now in favor of drilling offshore!