7th Annual State and Local Sales Tax Exemption Holiday

Perceptibly, the savings can accumulate if purchasing computers and clothes during the sales tax exemption holiday.

July 28, 2008

NC NEWS -- This year's 7th annual North Carolina state and local sales tax holiday will include an increased exemption on school instructional materials with an individual price tag of up to $300, which is a $200 increase from last year. This increased exemption on school instructional materials' covers items such as reference books, maps, globes, textbooks and workbooks.

During the tax holiday weekend beginning Friday, August 1, 2008, and lasts through Sunday, August 3, 2008, consumers will not pay sales tax on the following items:

• Clothes and footwear costing less than $100 per item
• School supplies such as pens, pencils, paper, notebooks, textbooks, book bags, lunch bags and calculators costing less than $100 per item
• Sports and recreation equipment costing $50 or less per item
• Computers costing less than $3,500 and computer supplies costing less that $250 per item.

Perceptibly, the savings can accumulate if purchasing computers and clothes. The following is the official all-inclusive list of items that qualify as tax exempt during the sales tax exemption holiday.

North Carolina Governor Mike Easley offered the following statement about the North Carolina sales tax holiday:

"As many families find themselves squeezed by the national economy with increasing prices for food, gasoline and other necessities, our tax holiday offers consumers a chance for some real savings. With all the needs the start of a new school year brings, this is a way for families to stretch their hard-earned money a bit farther and an opportunity to generate significant business for our retailers."

Furthermore, in November, consumers will receive another reprieve from the sales tax with the governor's first tax holiday on energy-efficient items. During the first weekend of November, specific "Energy Star" qualified appliances such as washing machines, freezers and refrigerators, air conditioners and other items will be exempt from sales tax.

Finally, North Carolina consumers are warned that even though online businesses do not charge sales tax to customers from outside the business's home state, purchasing items online via the internet throughout the year, does not qualify these items as tax exempt. The customer is responsible for paying the item's sales tax to their respective home state.