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Stores prepare for tax holiday

Published Thursday, August 6, 2009

Tax-Free Holiday information

When: Friday, Aug. 7, 12:01 a.m. to Sunday, Aug. 9, midnight

Exempt Items:

Clothing, less than $100 per article, including shirts, shorts, jeans, pants, shoes, underwear, belts, diapers and hats

Computers, including laptops and desktops

School computer supplies, including printers, printer supplies, storage media and handheld electronic schedules and digital assistants that are not cell phones

School supplies

School art supplies

School instructional material

Books

Taxable Items:

Clothing accessories

Protective equipment

Sport or recreational equipment

Computer parts and devices not sold as a package

Non-educational video games

Magazines, newspapers, periodicals, non-bound documents

For a complete list and more information, click here.

Local stores are preparing for an increase in customers for the Tax Free Holiday this weekend.

“It’s always huge,” Hibbett Sports manager Hank Long said. “It’s about as big as Christmas.”

Alexander City, Dadeville, Goodwater and Coosa County all voted to suspend city, county and state taxes over the weekend. Tallapoosa County voted against suspending its one-cent tax, which goes to the school systems.

“We’re hoping people will stay home to shop,” Mayor Barbara Young said. “We can save them some money. We’re in critical times right now and the city needs to do what it can to help its citizens. I’m glad the city council voted to do this.”

Amy Shade, store manager of Peebles, said her customers are excited about the potential savings.

“We’ve had a lot of calls to find out if we’re opening earlier,” Shade said. “This is always a good weekend for us. They’ll be lined up out the door (this weekend).”

Peebles will have extended store hours over the weekend in anticipation of big crowds. The store will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

“Our girls will be in their dressiest casual (clothes) with their running shoes on so they can take care of everybody,” Shade said.

HIbbett Sports will also have extended hours, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Long said the weekend has been very successful over the last few years and customers have called the store with questions about it.

“We have had people asking about it for the last few weeks,” Long said.

Cynthia Jackson, manager of Cato’s, said they expect a lot of back-to-school shoppers.

“A lot of them will probably be shopping for school clothes,” Jackson said. “It does give us a lot of sales right at school time. It boosts us up a little bit.”

The Sales Tax Holiday begins Friday, Aug. 7, at 12:01 a.m. and ends Sunday, Aug. 9, at midnight.

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