Get Ready To Shop Tax-Free

[ladyspur]

POSTED: 2:04 pm CDT August 1, 2005
UPDATED: 11:37 am CDT August 4, 2005

HOUSTON -- This weekend is a favorite time of year for many shoppers -- when they can buy items tax-free during the state's annual Sales-Tax Holiday.

HOURS
Begins: 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 5
Ends: Midnight Sunday, Aug. 7
SHOPPING LISTS
Tax-Free Items

HOUSTON - This weekend is a favorite time of year for many shoppers - when they can buy items tax-free during the state's annual Sales Tax Holiday.

From 12:01 am Friday until midnight Sunday, most clothing and footwear priced less than $100 is exempt from sales taxes, saving shoppers about 8 percent.

State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn predicted consumers would save millions in state and local taxes.

For parents, the annual event can really help during back-to-school shopping since many stores offer big discounts on top of the tax break.

Here are some of the guidelines.

Customers will receive the break on individual items, regardless of the total amount they buy. For example, sales tax is not due if a customer buys six shirts each priced at $99. But full tax is due on a shirt sold for $100.

Clothing and footwear used primarily for athletic activities or for protective wear are not eligible for the exemption. For example, customers buying golf cleats or football pads must pay sales tax. Athletic wear that is also used for other non-athletic activities qualify for the tax exemption. For example, tennis shoes, baseball caps and jogging suits are often worn during everyday activities and will be tax-free.

Accessories such as jewelry and watches are excluded and will be taxed, as well as items that are carried rather than worn, including handbags, briefcases and wallets.

Back-to-school tax-free holidays started in New York in 1997 and are now in 12 states.

For more information, call the tax-free hotline at (800) 252-5555 or visit the State Comptroller's Web site.

Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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You are? why do you need a brand new pair of slippers??? have you seen the list? No school supplies like paper, pencils or backpacks!!! crazy list...

[ladyspur]

Originally Posted by MomBear

You are? why do you need a brand new pair of slippers??? have you seen the list? No school supplies like paper, pencils or backpacks!!! crazy list...

I didnt look at the list, but Im sure I can find something to buy.

[To be named later]

No thanks.....saving a measley 8 cents on the dollar ain't gonna get me out there in the throngs and crowds of people.

I'd rather just go out the day before or the day after, pay the 8%, and avoid the crowds.

[braeden0613]

yeah seriously...these is the weekend i will avoid the shopping malls at all costs

[Hantler]

but wouldn't it make sense for the stores to have huge sales too? They figure people are gonna be out buying stuff so why not entice them to buy more by having sales? Maybe I'm wrong.

[PHANTOM21]

Top Ten Places I'd Rather Be Than At The Mall This Weekend

10) hell

9) Tied up head to toe with rope and laid out across the railroad tracks

8) Hedo Tfans bathroom

7) Walking down the middle of Fallujah wearing a "Iraqi's suck" TShirt

6) At Neverland Ranch sharing boyhood pictures with Micheal Jackson

5) Front row at a Micheal Bolton concert

4) Under LS's bed while shes making woopie with hubby

3) Searching for land mines in aghganistan

2) In prison cell with BTK

1) At the bottom of Nate from Ohios dirty laundry pile

[braeden0613]

Originally Posted by PHANTOM21

Top Ten Places I'd Rather Be Than At The Mall This Weekend

10) hell

9) Tied up head to toe with rope and laid out across the railroad tracks

8) Hedo Tfans bathroom

7) Walking down the middle of Fallujah wearing a "Iraqi's suck" TShirt

6) At Neverland Ranch sharing boyhood pictures with Micheal Jackson

5) Front row at a Micheal Bolton concert

4) Under LS's bed while shes making woopie with hubby

3) Searching for land mines in aghganistan

2) In prison cell with BTK

1) At the bottom of Nate from Ohios dirty laundry pile

LOL...

[SpurInDallas]

Originally Posted by PHANTOM21

Top Ten Places I'd Rather Be Than At The Mall This Weekend

10) hell

9) Tied up head to toe with rope and laid out across the railroad tracks

8) Hedo Tfans bathroom

7) Walking down the middle of Fallujah wearing a "Iraqi's suck" TShirt

6) At Neverland Ranch sharing boyhood pictures with Micheal Jackson

5) Front row at a Micheal Bolton concert

4) Under LS's bed while shes making woopie with hubby

3) Searching for land mines in aghganistan

2) In prison cell with BTK

1) At the bottom of Nate from Ohios dirty laundry pile

My vote for post of the day.

[Uncle_Rico]

there will be sales just like during the holidays. everything is sold at retail w/o the usual store discount price you normally pay and put on sale to make you think you got a good deal and also save that magical .07cents to 8 dollar tax break.

[ladyspur]

Originally Posted by PHANTOM21

Top Ten Places I'd Rather Be Than At The Mall This Weekend


4) Under LS's bed while shes making woopie with hubby

Make sure you are there by 6:00 p.m.

[ATB]

i used to work at bealls and the tax free weekends that i worked were HELL. i doubt i'm going anywhere near malls for that time period!

[phillyspurslover]

that's one thing i'll miss about here.

delaware....tax free shopping, all day, all night.

[Blake]

Originally Posted by Uncle_Rico

there will be sales just like during the holidays. everything is sold at retail w/o the usual store discount price you normally pay and put on sale to make you think you got a good deal and also save that magical .07cents to 8 dollar tax break.

that's EXACTLY my feeling on the weekend.

It seems they sell everything at retail price. A $10 item will be $9.20 this weekend......wait a week and it will be marked down at a 25% off sale and you
can get it for $7.50.......

-1) I'd rather be at the dentist's office with Kenny G blasting while he is drilling holes into my teeth and gums.....

[Amente]

Originally Posted by Uncle_Rico

there will be sales just like during the holidays. everything is sold at retail w/o the usual store discount price you normally pay and put on sale to make you think you got a good deal and also save that magical .07cents to 8 dollar tax break.

Yeah, most store had their big sales on these items last week - which probably the best time to buy - while this weekend it's back to smaller sales or regular price because they know people will be out purchasing anyway due to the 'no sales tax' propaganda.

[shelden]

So Texas has an 8% sales tax? I can see how you can afford not to have an income tax, then. What are property taxes like there?

[triple]

I get tax free items whenever I visit my PX/BX.
And its not just on shoes and clothes!

Another perk of being in the US Army.

[kmgospurs]

I live up here by the Outlet mall in San Marcos and it's a mad house. Luckily I don't work there but most of my friends do

[Chief]

you can't use it on school supplies, just clothes ?

that sucks.

[Pinky]

Who still goes to the mall?

I just hit the Target @ Crossroads and it wasn't that bad. Still had things in stock and it wasn't dirty. Ok, a few hangers on the floor, but a lot better than Wal Mart. It is just too crazy to go there and I always run over clothes all over the floor there.