School sales tax holiday takes some pressure off well-deserving parents

For many – if not most – of us, personal finances seem to be getting tighter and tighter these days. We’re pinching pennies and stretching dollars just as far as possible.

That’s why the state’s back-to-school sales tax holiday is such a great thing for parents – and for anyone who needs to purchase the eligible essentials.

Waiving the state sales tax on the rather lengthy list of items included is just a small way to save consumers a little cash and give us a little more breathing room. It might not be much, but every little bit helps, doesn’t it?

The event is set for this weekend. It begins at 12:01 a.m. July 19 and continues until midnight July 21. Shoppers will get to skip the state’s 4 percent sales tax. Franklin County sales tax will also be waived, along with city tax in Russellville and Red Bay.

This is the 19th year the state has offered a tax-free weekend for back-to-school. It’s one of only two tax holidays each year, the other being for severe weather preparedness in February.

The items in question are those commonly needed by students preparing for their return to school in the fall, but the tax holiday is for everyone.

Included are clothing items of $100 or less. That’s not just shirts and pants; it also includes items like belts, hats, pajamas, underwear, all kinds of shoes and even diapers and more.

State tax is also waived on all kinds of school and art supplies, like binders, composition books, crayons, folders, glue, index cards, paper, pencils, scissors, paint, globes – like we said, the list is long. You can see the full list on the Alabama Department of Revenue website.

We’re glad this tax-free weekend is held to help us all stretch our budgets a little further – especially for parents, for whom this can be an especially expensive time of year. Many children seem to need a whole new wardrobe as each new school year approaches, and of course many of those consumable school supplies have to be replaced year after year.

But although it’s great for parents, we all need new clothes from time to time, and we all use many of the items tagged as “school supplies.” Whether back-to-school season means anything to you personally or not, we can all benefit from this tax being waived.

Take some time to assess and inventory your home in the next couple days and make a list of things you need to buy this weekend. Make plans to do a little shopping while the final price won’t be quite so high.

If it’s something you’re going to need to buy soon anyway, you’ll be best served by buying it this weekend.

Don’t miss your chance.