With the new school year just around the corner, Tennessee parents will get a break next weekend.
And many of their friends and relatives from the Peach State will be shopping right beside them, since Georgia officials have decided to forego that state’s sales tax holiday this year.
“It’s 10 miles from my house to the Tennessee line,” one mother of three high school students said recently. “I’d be crazy to buy their clothes and school supplies here in Georgia when I can travel 10 miles and save at least $50.
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Since the normal sales tax rate throughout Hamilton County is almost 10 percent, savings can be significant for parents purchasing a wide variety of items ranging from school clothes to computers priced up to $1,500.
The holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 6 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 8.
Exempt items included in the Sales Tax Holiday include:
* School Supplies - binders, book bags, calculators, chalk, crayons, erasers, folders, glue, pens, pencils, lunch boxes, notebooks, paper, rulers, scissors and tape. (IPod’s will be tax exempt, but video games and consoles will not.)
* Art Supplies - acrylic, tempera and oil paints; clay and glazes; paintbrushes for artwork; sketch and drawing pads; and watercolors.
* Computers - central processing unit (CPU), and various other components including keyboard, monitor, mouse, cables to connect components and preloaded software. (Note: The CPU can be purchased separately, but other components must be part of a computer package.)
* Clothing - belts, coats, dresses, gloves and mittens, hats and caps, hosiery, neckties, pants, scarves, shirts, shoes, sneakers, and uniforms (athletic or non-athletic).
For more information on the sales tax holiday, visit www.tntaxholiday.com.