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School Supplies, Clothes and Emergency Gear Are Tax-Free This Weekend

Virginia’s annual sales tax holiday is set for this coming weekend.

Gov. Ralph Northam (D) announced this week that the tax-free weekend will last from this Friday, August 2 through Sunday, August 4. Shoppers can take advantage of it by purchasing items like school supplies and back-to-school clothes, as well as emergency equipment to prepare for hurricane season and energy-efficient home appliances, without the added expense of a sales tax.

“The annual sales tax holiday makes many important items more affordable for Virginians as they get ready for the new school year or stock up on basic supplies,” said the governor in a statement.

Per the governor’s statement the following items will be sold sans tax:

  • School supplies, clothing, and footwear:
    • Qualified school supplies – $20 or less per item; and
    • Qualified clothing and footwear – $100 or less per item.
  • Hurricane and emergency preparedness products:
    • Portable generators – $1,000 or less per item;
    • Gas-powered chainsaws – $350 or less per item;
    • Chainsaw accessories – $60 or less per item; and
    • Other specified hurricane preparedness products – $60 or less per item.
  • Energy Star™ and WaterSense™ products:
    • Qualifying Energy Star™ or WaterSense™ products purchased for non-commercial home or personal use – $2,500 or less per item.

In 2015, Virginia General Assembly combined three different sales tax holidays into one, long weekend event.