Tax-free shopping under way in Maryland
Monday - 8/15/2011, 10:55am ET
Kate Ryan, wtop.com
WASHINGTON -- One week of tax-free shopping is under way in Maryland, but shoppers should take note there are some restrictions on the sale.
"Shop Maryland" is the state's annual tax-free shopping week that runs through Aug. 20. During this time, certain items priced $100 and less will be exempt from the state's 6 percent sales tax.
The break should give some parents a tax reprieve with back-to-school clothing shopping, but school supplies such as laptops, binders, pens and paper are not included in the tax break. There is no limit to the number of items shoppers can purchase on the list.
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot kicked off "Shop Maryland" Sunday at the Mall in Columbia. Officials say last year's tax-free shopping week boosted retail sales by 10 percent.
To see what's tax-exempt, click here. Take note, however, tax-exempt items are only those marked in bold with an "E," so not every item on the list is tax-free.
Follow Kate Ryan and WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
