SALISBURY, Md. – Now that it’s mid-august, the start of school is on the minds of most kids and families. Going back to school means back-to-school shopping.
Lucky for Maryland residents, this is the one week out of the whole year where you can get your kid a new pair of shoes without having to pay Uncle Sam.
“Tax free week is always the busiest week of the year for us in the back to school season,” said Joe Wright, President of Vernon Powell Shoe Company.
Until Saturday August 17th, Maryland shoppers will be able to purchase certain items free of sales tax. Wright said that they really feel the uptick in traffic with the deal. “It’s a great time to save money right now. Everybody’s trying to save because things are more expensive. So I think a lot of customers are coming out to to try to save every penny they can.”
Shopper Marissa Landon was definitely not missing out on it: “Tax is something that jacks up these prices nowadays. So, yeah, I’ll be taking advantage of it all week.”
With Delaware shoppers used to seeing no sales tax on their purchases, Wright says that the deal even draws some people across states lines. “Not only are we getting a bump in Maryland traffic, I think more Delaware customers are willing to come to Maryland to shop, that probably would would try to go to maybe a Dover or Rehoboth. So I do think we’re getting some more business here in Salisbury.”
It hits close to home for Marissa, who was already thinking about what she do with her savings: “I’m a substitute teacher, so I could get some school supplies for my students, as well as like maybe some new shoes for myself and some things for my coworkers.”
Bill Chambers, Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce President, said that it does provide a strong incentive for consumers, because the back-to-school bills really add up. “The average purchase for school back to school supplies is almost $900. So it’s an expensive proposition, whether you’re sending a kid to K through 12 or you’re a college student.”
Chambers noted that many states have been moving away from these tax-exempt holidays for both financial and logistical reasons. “Frankly, while tax-free holidays may be politically expedient, they’re really bad public policy because they’re expensive for states to administer,” Chambers said, adding “It’s a logistical issue for the comptroller’s office to keep track of this…for a retailer, they have the same logistical, administrative headache.”
Tax-exempt purchases are for clothing, footwear, and accessories that are under $100. For backpacks the first $40 of the purchase is free of sales tax.
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Publish date : 2024-08-12 11:33:00
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