Is it really time for school to start again already? These back to school shopping tips are perfect for helping you get you and your children prepared!
Don’t be like the thousands of other parents out there waiting until the last minute. Take advantage of all the back to school tax-free weekend sales and save big bucks on those school supplies!
Back To School Shopping Tips Every Parent Needs To Know
Depending on where you are located, you may already be back to school. If so, just remember these tips for next year as well!
Where I’m from, we have some form of year-round, multi-track or single track program in our school district that keeps us always planning to “Go Back To School.”
Over 3,000 schools have year-round education programs!
That’s less than four percent of all schools, but it’s four times the number of students in year-round schools a decade ago.
Tax-Free Weekend for Back to School
Have you heard about the addition of 4 new states who provide tax breaks for shoppers?
Talk about a huge money saver and a bit of a relief. School shopping can be a big task and we all need to get ready for the first day of school.
It’s not just parents and students who have to plan ahead for the opening day, either. Tax-free weekend school shopping is important for teachers and administrators too.
The cost of clothes, books, and supplies can add up quickly. The good news? Back To School
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For a short period of time, you don’t pay state tax on certain purchases.
The items covered by the tax holidays vary from state to state.
You may want to let parents, grandparents, PTA’s etc know about this back to school program in your next school newsletter.
Many states offer some back to school sales-tax exemption beginning in the summer months, some as early as July.
Parents may benefit from checking to see if their state is one sponsoring a tax holiday for back to school shopping. The tax information firm CCH reports that all 13 states (identified below) and the District of Columbia offered sales-tax waivers on everything from clothing and shoes to school supplies and computers.
New York, which launched the first-ever back to school program in 1997 and has since offered a sales tax break on certain items year-round, has turned other states onto the concept.
In 2006 four new states were added – Alabama, Maryland, Tennessee, and Virginia – and offer their own version of a “back to school” sales tax holiday.
According to a study by the National Retail Federation, back to school spending by American families is expected to reach $17.6 billion and keep growing year after year.
Now that’s a real reason to celebrate school spirit !
Back to school shopping tips to remember
All buyers should be careful to check to make sure their purchases are covered by the tax holiday provisions in their state.
Listed below are states that have previously offered back to school tax holidays and are expected to continue similar offers in the future.
Dates of the state tax-free weekends and what items qualify may vary from year to year.
Your state may decide to make similar offers or not participate at all.
Always be sure to check for current information and we’ll be sure to update here as new data becomes available.
Alabama
Items covered: Clothing priced at $100 or less, school supplies valued at $50 or less and books under $30 each. A single purchase costing $750 of computers, software and school computer supplies is also covered.
Connecticut
Items covered: Clothing and shoes that sell for under $300. The tax break does not cover athletic or protective clothing and footwear, jewelry, handbags, luggage, umbrellas, wallets and watches.
District of Columbia
Items covered: School supplies, clothing, accessories and shoes that cost $100 or less.
Florida
Items covered: Books, clothes, shoes and certain accessories priced at $50 or less are exempt, as well as school supplies priced at $10 or less per item.
Georgia
Items covered: Certain school supplies worth up to $20 each, and clothing and footwear valued at $100 or less are exempt. Computers, computer-related accessories, and energy-efficient products priced at $1,500 or less are also exempt.
Iowa
Items covered: No sales tax will be collected on clothing or footwear that sells for $100 or less per item, although accessories are not covered.
Maryland
Items covered: Clothes and footwear priced at $100 or less.
Missouri
Items covered: Clothing and footwear except for certain accessories that are priced at $100 or less, school supplies costing $50 or less, computer software with a taxable value of $350 or less, and personal computers and computer peripherals that retail for $3,500 or less.
New Mexico
Items covered: Clothing or shoes under $100, computers retailing for $1,000 or less, and any associated monitor, speakers, printer or related items that sells for no more than $500. School supplies priced under $15, bookbags, backpacks, handheld calculators, maps and globes priced under $100 are also covered.
North Carolina
Items covered: Clothing and school supplies priced at $100 or less are exempt from taxes, as are sports and recreation equipment that costs under $50, and computers priced at $3,500 or less. Clothing accessories, protective equipment, furniture and rentals not covered.
South Carolina
Items covered: Clothing, clothing accessories, footwear, school supplies, computers, printers, printer supplies, computer software and linens for the bed and bath qualify for the sales tax exemption. Jewelry, cosmetics, and furniture are not covered.
Tennessee
Items covered: Clothing and school supplies priced at $100 or less, as well as computers retailing below $1,500 are also covered.
Texas
Items covered: Most clothing and footwear priced at less than $100 are exempt from state and local sales taxes. Athletic or protective clothing and footwear are ineligible for the exemption. Clothing accessories and rentals are excluded from the holiday.
Virginia
Items covered: Sales of clothing and footwear costing $100 or less are covered under the tax holiday, as well as school supplies valued under $20.
Does year-round schooling affect performance and back to school sales?
Year-round schooling continues to be controversial in almost every school district. Districts from New York to Los Angeles are experimenting with new calendars and hoping to make positive changes to improve student performance.
Long term, it’s hard to know whether the idea will become more popular or less as parents and administrators try to figure out the best solution.
Supporters say year-round systems improve academic performance. They point to Japan where student scores are higher than those in the U.S. and where students attend classes 220 days a year on average, as opposed to 180 days in America.
We continue to suggest school themes are a popular way to unify staff and students! Hopefully, your theme team is raring to go! That’s a winning combination that will help BOOST your school spirit without a doubt!
I hope our back to school shopping tips help ease the stress many of us go through at the beginning of each school year.
