Alabama’s “Back to School” Sales Tax Holiday is this Weekend

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/08/7957359556_ddae862b53_school-supplies.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:500;s:6:"height";i:375;s:4:"file";s:49:"2016/08/7957359556_ddae862b53_school-supplies.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:7:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"7957359556_ddae862b53_school-supplies-336x252.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:252;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"7957359556_ddae862b53_school-supplies-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:47:"7957359556_ddae862b53_school-supplies-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"7957359556_ddae862b53_school-supplies-500x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:500;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"7957359556_ddae862b53_school-supplies-415x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:415;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"7957359556_ddae862b53_school-supplies-353x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:353;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"7957359556_ddae862b53_school-supplies-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:164491;s:14:"optimized_size";i:87446;s:7:"percent";d:46.840000000000003;}s:5:"sizes";a:8:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:77:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/7957359556_ddae862b53_school-supplies.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:164491;s:14:"optimized_size";i:87446;s:7:"percent";d:46.840000000000003;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1651877184 
1470125631

Alabama’s annual “back to school” sales tax holiday starts on Friday. That’s when the state waves its 4-percent sales tax on school related items. Many counties and cities drop their sales taxes too.

It represents a chance for parents to save but it’s also a big weekend for stores.

Kim Anderson is co-owner of the children’s clothing store Favorite Laundry in Birmingham. She hopes the sales tax holiday will bring the store new customers. To prepare, she’s making sure her staff understands the ins-and-outs of the tax-free weekend.

“We’re making sure we know the requirements, obviously, of what is going to be tax free, what does not count,” says Anderson.

Eligible items include school supplies, clothing, books, computers and computer accessories. The Alabama Retail Association predicts Alabamians will spend about $1.1 billion on back-to-school shopping. The sales tax holiday starts Friday and runs through Sunday.

Photo by Lyn Lomasi

 

Why oil prices are falling, and what it means for the economy

Between tariffs roiling the global economy and OPEC putting more barrels on the market, prices have dropped significantly since January. That's good for consumers, and bad for oil companies.

Hegseth says he’s a change agent at DoD. But details are scarce

The most detailed plan to reshape the Army began taking shape long before Pete Hegseth's arrival as secretary of defense.

India launches missile attacks on Pakistan

India has launched strikes in several parts of Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled territory, in a dramatic escalation of tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals.

States win a legal injunction against President Trump, pausing library funding cuts

A federal judge Tuesday wrote that President Trump's executive order dismantling the IMLS "disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government."

Major deepfake porn site shuts down

MrDeepFakes said that a critical service provider terminated service, resulting in massive data loss. The site, which featured nonconsensual, sexually explicit content, said it would not relaunch.

Senate confirms Trump’s pick to run Social Security amid upheaval at the agency

Tech CEO Frank Bisignano will be leading the federal agency that runs programs providing retirement, survivor and disability benefits, as well as supplemental income for the very poor.

More Economy Coverage