Back-to-School Tax Free Weekend Returns in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Parents and kids alike are gearing up as Alabama prepares for its sixteenth annual sales tax holiday this weekend.

All school-related items, including clothing less than $100 per item and electronics less than $750 per item will not be taxed this weekend starting Friday 12:01 a.m. and running through Sunday at midnight.

Jim Page, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama said that this might be the biggest year yet for turnout.

"The tax-free weekend has certainly grown in popularity over the years as more awareness has been created around it and as people recognize the significant savings it can provide," Page said.

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Page was optimistic that tax-free weekend will be the booster shot Tuscaloosa's economy needs, especially considering schools in the city will return to full in-person classes and the University of Alabama will open its campus back up fully this fall.

"Children back in the classroom and students returning to local campuses will absolutely be a huge shot in the arm – terrible pun intended – to the local business community," Page said. "The pent-up demand following last fall’s capacity restrictions will most certainly lead to a renewed appreciation to be out in the community and spending money."

He added that if this weekend proves successful, it could be a sign that Tuscaloosa might well and truly be getting 'back to normal.'

"As difficult as the past year-plus has been, residents of our community have done a terrific job in handling the pandemic. I already get the sense that members of our community are ready to be back to normal and feel safe doing so," Page said.

Some examples of tax-exempt school supplies include:

Binders
Book Bags
Calculators
Compasses
Computers
Computer storage devices
Crayons
Drawing pads
Erasers
Folders
Glue
Handheld electronic schedulers
Highlighters
Index Cards
Legal Pads
Lunch Boxes
Markers
Notebooks
Paints/Paintbrushes
Paper
Pencils
Pencil boxes/sharpeners
Pens
Personal digital assistants (excluding cell phones)
Printers
Printer Supplies (paper, ink)
Protractors
Reference maps and globes
Required textbooks
Rulers
Scissors
Tape
Watercolors

Some examples of tax-exempt clothing include:

Belts
Boots
Caps
Coats
Diapers
Gloves
Gym suits
Hats
Hosiery
Jackets
Jeans
Neckties
Pajamas
Pants
Raincoats
Robes
Sandals
Scarves
School uniforms
Shirts
Shoes
Shorts
Socks
Sneakers
Underwear

A full list of tax-exempt items can be found here.

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