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

La'Nissi Brown | August 2, 2016

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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