Back to School Sales Tax Holiday This Weekend in Ga.

Georgia’s annual back to school sales tax holiday is this coming weekend.

This coming Saturday and Sunday, Georgia will not charge sales tax on items including clothing and footwear with a sales price of $100 or less per item; computers, computer components, and prewritten software purchased for noncommercial home or personal use with a sales price of $1000 or less per item; and school supplies purchased for noncommercial use with a sales price of $20 or less per item.

National Federation of Independent Business Georgia State Director Nathan Humphrey said his organization hopes the annual sales tax holiday will be a boon to businesses across the state.

He said while parents could go back to school shopping regardless, the sales tax holiday could also attract cash-strapped shoppers who have delayed buying new clothes and devices.

Humphrey also said that the sales tax holiday applies not only at the malls, but at small businesses as well.

“Malls are great and some of the big box retailers are great to visit, but your small businesses are people that live and work in your community and those tax dollars and the money you spend are going to help businesses that employ your neighbors and people you see at church and in your neighborhood,” said Humphrey. “It is a great opportunity to support people that you live with.”

Humphrey said not only should this weekend’s back-to-school sales tax holiday help people get a bigger bang for their buck at the stores on certain items, it will also hopefully help the bottom line for businesses across Georgia.

He said it has been a lackluster summer for small businesses and this could serve as a boost.

“It has not been a great year,” said Humphrey. “Small businesses, in general, have just kind of been maintaining and trying to just hold on. They are risk averse right now, not sure what is going to happen with the economy, what new regulations and taxes are going to come their way. This year has been a little slower and this is a good opportunity hopefully with the sales tax holiday to get a good bounce and hopefully get an up-tick in some business.”

For more information about the back-to-school sales tax holiday on Saturday and Sunday, visit the Georgia Department of Revenue’s website at www.dor.georgia.gov.

There, a list is posted with more specifics on what is covered as part of the back-to-school sales tax holiday