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Virginia shoppers get a tax break on certain items this weekend

Point of sale payment at a store (Photo by Blake Wisz on Unsplash)

Don’t be surprised if your receipt lacks a sales tax charge this weekend.

Starting Friday at 12:01 a.m. and running until midnight on Sunday, a variety of products, from school supplies to refrigerators, will be exempt from taxation during a three-day tax holiday.

Virginia shoppers can take advantage of this tax break on certain items categorized into three groups

School supplies, clothing, and footwear

  • Qualified school supplies under $20
  • Qualified clothing and footwear under $100

Hurricane and emergency preparedness products

  • Batteries, flashlights, bottled water and other preparedness supplies under $60
  • Portable generators under $1,000
  • Gas-powered chainsaws under $350

Energy Star™ and WaterSense™ products

  • Qualifying Energy Star™ or WaterSense™ products under $2,500 purchased for noncommercial home or personal use

These eligible products can be purchased both in physical stores and online, as well as through mail or telephone orders.

The three-day “holiday” traditionally falls in August. However, this year, it was postponed due to a delay in state lawmakers approving a spending bill, which was ultimately passed in September.

“As Virginians continue to face inflation and high prices, Virginians will receive some needed tax relief this weekend,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a press release. “This sales tax holiday is an important measure to help Virginians keep more of their hard-earned money when purchasing essential school supplies, hurricane preparedness items, and clothing.”

Photo by Blake Wisz on Unsplash