NEWS

For one weekend, say goodbye to sales tax

Kate Snyder
Reporter

ZANESVILLE – For the first time in Ohio, the sales tax will be suspended for one weekend in August, allowing people to purchase clothing and school supplies without paying sales tax.

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The sales tax holiday, which was passed as a one-time occurrence by the state last year, is scheduled to begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday and end at 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

Items that will be exempt from the sales tax that weekend are clothing priced at $75 per item or less, school supplies priced at $20 per item or less and school instructional material priced at $20 per item or less.

There is no limit on the amount of the total purchase, according to the Ohio Department of Taxation website, which means a customer could buy several pieces of clothing and receive sales tax off the entire transaction as long as each item individually costs $75 or less.

Kevin Pinson, marketing coordinator at Colony Square Mall in Zanesville, said the holiday includes all retailers in the state.

"It's like a Black Friday weekend," he said.

The mall will be open its regular hours during the sales tax holiday, and Pinson anticipated that the crowd would not be too big.

"I don't think it's going to be full-blast, all-out crazy," he said. "I don't think very many people have heard about it."

Pinson said he did think, however, the holiday would become a tradition in Ohio. Right now, the holiday is designed as a one-time event, but he thinks the event will be successful enough to become annual.

"I think (lawmakers) will see the benefit of it," he said.

In addition to the sales tax holiday, Pinson said if customers spend $100 or more at any location in the mall, they will receive a gift card to one of four retailers.

Pinson said that promotion was scheduled for the same weekend as the holiday on purpose.

"That's usually our big back-to-school weekend, anyway," he said.

For more information about the sales tax holiday, check out the Department of Taxation's website at www.tax.ohio.gov/sales_and_use/SalesTaxHoliday.aspx or call 800-304-3211.

ksnyder2@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

740-450-6752

Twitter: @KL_Snyder