This article was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
Virginia’s annual sales tax holiday is back starting Friday.
During the holiday, consumers can buy qualifying items in Virginia without paying the state’s 5.3% sales tax. The holiday begins Friday, Aug. 1, at 12:01 a.m. and ends Sunday, Aug. 3 at 11:59 p.m. It includes purchases made in-store, online or by mail or phone.
All school supplies priced at $20 or less, and clothing and shoes priced $100 or less, are exempt from sales tax during the weekend.
According to the Virginia Department of Taxation, a school supply is “an item that is commonly used by a student in a course of study.” Items that qualify for the sales tax exemption include binders, chalk, book bags, calculators, tape, compasses, composition books, crayons, erasers, folders, glue, highlighters, index cards, lunch boxes, notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, rulers and scissors.
Clothing, not including sporting equipment, athletic footwear, or clothing accessories, is also included in the sales tax holiday.
The three-day holiday also includes tax-free hurricane and emergency preparedness products, including portable generators priced at $1,000 or less, gas-powered chainsaws at $350 or less, chainsaw accessories at $60 or less and other preparedness items under $60.
Several energy-saving products are also tax-free, including qualifying Energy Star and WaterSense appliances for home or personal use.
A complete list of items that can be purchased tax-free can be found online at www.tax.virginia.gov.
