Helping families save on Back-to-School shopping: Ohio Sales Tax Holiday, Aug. 4-6

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Back-to-school shopping can be tough on families. It all really starts to add up as you stretch every dollar for clothing, books, pens, and notepads. In the Ohio Senate, we know that families could use some help, and we are committed to easing the financial burden. That is why, for the third year in a row, the General Assembly has passed the Ohio Sales Tax Holiday to assist parents during the back-to-school shopping season.

Two years ago, when we enacted Ohio’s first Sales Tax Holiday – a pilot project to see how Ohio would respond to the tax-free weekend, Ohioans saved millions of dollars and retailers saw a significant boost in sales. Counties located along state lines fared even better. We renewed that program in 2016 and Ohio families were once again able to save money while buying back-to-school necessities.

This year, I co-sponsored Senate Bill 9 to renew the Sales Tax Holiday for 2017. Beginning Friday, Aug. 4 and running through Sunday, Aug. 6, families can take advantage of this unique tax-free weekend when purchasing select items. However, the benefits don’t stop there – over the past two years retailers have offered additional discounts to coincide with the tax holiday weekend. Both shoppers and retailers can once again benefit from this savings opportunity while students have the items necessary to succeed in the classroom.

All shoes and clothing priced less than $75 will be exempt from state and local sales and use taxes during this period. School supplies and instructional materials priced at $20 or less will also be tax exempt. Even online vendors will be more affordable, as they will waive local and state sales taxes on designated items during the three-day tax holiday.

This is a win-win for families, businesses and most importantly, students. I was proud to support this initiative, which will help families keep more of their hard earned money.

For more information about Ohio’s Sales Tax Holiday, including specifics on which items qualify for savings, please visit the Ohio Department of Taxation’s website at http://www.tax.ohio.gov/sales_and_use/SalesTaxHoliday.aspx. And as always, if you have any questions about the Sales Tax Holiday or any other issue, please feel free to contact me. You can reach me at [email protected] or by calling my office at (614) 466-6247.

Guest Column

By State Senator Bill Beagle

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