Published: July 25, 2008 11:57 pm         

Sales Tax Holday set for next weekend

There won’t be any parades and you can’t take off work for it.

But there will be savings for consumers as merchants in Pauls Valley, as well as the entire state, will mark the newest holiday weekend August 1-3.

Oklahoma’s Sales Tax Holiday weekend is just two years old and is already proving to a hit with both merchants and shoppers.

Beginning at 12:01 am on Friday, August 1, and ending at twelve midnight on Sunday, August 3, Oklahoma will hold a sales tax holiday giving shoppers the opportunity to purchase certain clothing and shoes free of sales tax. This includes state and any local sales taxes.

“All of our local merchants will be participating in the Sales Tax Holiday,” stated PV Chamber Director Della Wilson.

Wilson noted that retailers are required to participate and may not charge tax on items that are legally tax-exempt during the sales tax holiday.

“The sales tax holiday exempts the sale of clothing and shoes priced at less than $100 from sales taxes,” she added.

The Oklahoma Tax Commission defines “clothing” as “all human wearing apparel suitable for general use.”

What that means is items such as aprons (both household and shop), belts and suspenders, boots coats and jackets, footlets, gloves, hats and caps, neckties, overshoes, panty hose, sandals, scarves, socks and underwear will all be eligible for tax free status during the holiday weekend.

As long as the cost of the items are under $100, it will be exempt from local and state sales taxes.

Even diapers, both children and adult ones are exempt.

However, according to the OTC, items such as jewelry, handbags, luggage, umbrellas, wallets, watches, and other similar items carried on or about the human body, without regard to whether worn on the body in a manner characteristic of clothing are considered taxable.

The Oklahoma Legislature passed Senate Bill 861 during the 2007 Legislative Session to benefit both consumers and retailers in the state by providing sales tax exempt shopping.

So get out your check book and get ready to save big next weekend as Pauls Valley commemorates the second annual Sales Tax Holiday.

For a listing of all eligible items for the Sales Tax Holiday visit the Oklahoma Tax Commission’s web site at http://www.tax.ok.gov and click on the 2008 Sales Tax Holiday link.

     

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