Arkansas Holds Its First Tax-Free Holiday in August 2011
Purchases for School Supplies Are Exempt from State and Local Sales Taxes
Tax-payers in Arkansas have been waiting for a tax-free holiday for years. Adjoining states have one and at the beginning of the traditional school year, many families flock to the bordering states of Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Tennessee to take advantage of the tax-free weekends. This year, Arkansans can stay in-state to enjoy these benefits. A tax-free holiday is good for consumers and it is good for local businesses.
Starting at 12:01 am on Saturday, August 6, 2011 and running until 11:59 pm on Sunday, August 7, 2011, qualifying purchases are exempt from state and local sales tax. Clothes, shoes, accessories, school supplies, art supplies and educational books are some of the items that are exempt.
Below is a detailed list of everything that is exempt:
Clothes--includes all wearing apparel that is suitable for general use. This includes aprons, boots, shoes, work boots, all clothing, bathing suits and wedding apparel. Items must cost less than $100.00 per item.
Accessories--includes hair accessories, wigs, briefcases, handbags, makeup, non-prescription sunglasses, jewelry, watches and wallets. Items must cost less than $50.00 per item.
School Supplies--includes items commonly used by a student in the course of study. Only the following items are exempt: binders, bookbags, clear tape, calculators, blackboard chalk, notebooks, compasses, folders, pens, pencils, erasers, highlighters, glue, index cards and boxes, lunch boxes, pencil sharpeners, legal pads, paper, scissors, protractors, rulers and writing tablets.
School Art Supplies-- includes items commonly used by students for art projects. The items that are exempt are specifically limited to: Clay and glazes, paints and art paintbrushes, drawing pads and sketchbooks.
Instructional Material-- Includes only the following: reference books, maps and globes, textbooks and workbooks.
Noticably missing are computers, books--including beginning readers and books for literature courses, educational DVDs and educational software. The list is not perfect, but it is a good start. In the future more educational products may be added to the exempt list.
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Published by Lynda Altman
Lynda Altman is a freelance writer, blogger and researcher. Her experience includes published print articles in Family Chronicle Magazine, writing and researching for private clients, and writing online cont... View profile
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