If you have children who need clothing and supplies to go back to school, or if you have been considering buying a computer or similar equipment, this weekend (Aug. 6-7) might be a good time to do your shopping.
The annual tax-free weekend in both South and North Carolina will begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 5 and end at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 7.
The tax-free weekend is designed to reduce costs for families needing to buy back-to-school items, including:
• Clothing, footwear and school supplies of $100 or less per item (uniforms, backpacks, shoes of all types, swimsuits, wedding apparel, etc.)
• School instructional materials of $300 or less per item (paper, pens, markers, binders, etc.)
• Sports and recreation equipment of $50 or less per item (helmets, gloves, life preservers, guards and pads, etc.)
• Computers of $3,500 or less per item (must be a computer system, not keyboards, mice or other peripherals when not bought in conjunction with a system; e-readers are not included)
• Computer supplies of $250 or less per item (CDs, DVDs, printers, printer paper and ink, etc.)
Clothing accessories, jewelry, cosmetics, protective equipment, wallets, furniture, items used in a trade or business and rentals are not covered by the exemption and will be subject to the applicable tax.
For more information about the items that will be exempt from sales tax this weekend, visit www.dornc.com or www.sctax.org/Tax+Policy/Sales +Tax+Holiday+Information.htm.