Back-to-School Tax-Free Countdown 🎒💸

MONTGOMERY, Ala. ( WSFA - Parents, it's time to prepare for the children returning to school, and the Alabama Retail Association suggests that the weekend of July 18 is an ideal opportunity to begin.

Each year, parents can obtain their students' school essentials without paying Alabama's 4% state sales tax.

"Alabama's tax-exempt shopping event gives our families a chance to save some cash," said Rebecca Thomas, director of communications for Autauga County Schools We try our hardest as a school district to minimize school supplies and essential changes to the dress code so that you aren’t completely changing things each year," she said. "So we released these lists ahead of this weekend and we simply hope that families go out and purchase what they need at a slightly reduced cost.

Thomas urges parents to use this week to assess the supplies they currently possess, so they can clearly identify what needs to be purchased once the holiday takes place on July 18th.

I believe many of the things people often forget are actually everyday items they take for granted having at home," she stated. "Therefore, we urge everyone to check their supplies, download the school essentials list from our site, and start shopping.

Nevertheless, conventional classroom materials aren't the sole option items eligible For the back-to-school tax-free holiday. Products such as apparel, computers, and also baby diapers qualify as well.

"We offer an excellent variety of backpacks along with coordinating lunch containers and sleeping pads," said Shae Schroll, owner of The Name Dropper In Montgomery, they stated, "We have back-to-school attire, first-day-of-school outfits."

In many Alabama counties , eligible items are exempt from local sales tax as well. In Montgomery, where the name dropper is located, this means consumers will save on a combined 10% sales tax.

"Saving 10% makes a difference, particularly for those with several kids, as they have many things to purchase," Schroll stated.

Prepare your grocery lists. The annual back-to-school sales tax exemption begins on Friday, July 18, and continues until midnight on Sunday, July 20.

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