Families eager for tax break weekend as inflation rises

Jul. 13—With inflation driving up costs, local families plan to take advantage of the state's tax-free holiday on clothes and school supplies this weekend, saying it is vital to purchase all they can while they get the financial break.

"This weekend is very important to the working-class person that's a single parent to go out there and get the things their children need to go back to school," said Tiara Turner, who has a daughter going into the ninth grade at Austin Junior High School.

The holiday will begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday and will last through midnight Sunday. In Decatur, for example, shoppers will avoid 9% in state and local taxes on qualifying items.

According to the Alabama Department of Revenue, clothing items that cost $100 or less are eligible with the exception of certain clothing accessories. Computers, printers and other electronic devices with a sales price of $750 or less are eligible, school supplies such as paper and pencils are eligible with a sales price of $50 or less, and books are eligible with a sales price of $30 or less.

Turner said she will be buying clothes, school supplies, and athletic apparel and equipment this weekend and has been reserving money specifically for back-to-school shopping.

"I budget from May to June, where from May to July I'm not buying things she needs throughout the summer for school," Turner said. "I take that money and I put it to the side for back-to-school shopping and I use it on (tax-free) weekend."

Sandra McDonald has also been saving and said this weekend was the only opportunity she had the whole year to sufficiently purchase school supplies and clothes for her two daughters who attend Austin Middle School and Alabama A&M University in Huntsville.

"This weekend is very important because I'm on a fixed income right now," McDonald said. "I want to get everything I can get right now while it is tax-free. Gas and everything else is going up. We can't afford to get anything."

McDonald has been taking money out of each paycheck this year to prepare for this week.

Cassie Lawson, whose three children attend Priceville schools, said school supplies and clothing were going to be her top priority purchases this weekend.

"With three kids, that's a lot of clothes and a lot of school supplies," Lawson said. "(This weekend) will help offset that inflation that we're dealing with currently."

Charles Christopher, manager of Martin's Family Clothing on Beltline Road Southwest, said he is once again expecting large crowds in his store for the 2022 state sales tax holiday.

"We do a lot of advertising for this; we do a lot of social media as well as radio and newspaper advertisements," Christopher said. "It's our biggest sale of the summer."

Christopher said clearance prices will be 50% off and they will post coupons on social media throughout the weekend.

Carrington Kelly, owner of The Sassy Owl Boutique in downtown Decatur, said over 90% of the clothing items in her store are eligible for tax breaks and she is expecting large crowds for the weekend because of both the tax holiday and the scheduled 3rd Friday event downtown.

"We might extend our hours a little bit just to help out with the crowd," Kelly said.

Morgan, Limestone and Lawrence counties are participating in the sales tax holiday, along with Athens, Decatur, Hartselle and Moulton. Only a few smaller municipalities are not waiving their portion of sales tax locally, including Priceville, Courtland, North Courtland and Hillsboro.

— wesley.tomlinson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438.