Heads Up! Arkansas State Sales Tax Holiday August 2-3 Only

It's that time of year again. Everyone, whether you have a child in school or not, can purchase a multitude of items without paying sales tax this weekend. The offer is good for only two days. If you want best selection without a crowd, you can start at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday (actually Friday night at midnight). The 48-hour sales tax ‘holiday’ ends at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 3.

This is the third year Arkansas has declared this sales tax holiday. The tax break has been a welcome savings for Arkansans.

Here are the basics of what you need to know…

The sales tax holiday is primarily meant for back-to-school supplies and clothing. However, the categories are so broad, people from all walks of life can avail themselves for two days of buying without sales tax added on.

All Arkansas retailers are required by law to observe the sales tax holiday. This includes the University of Arkansas bookstores.

Here’s a partial list of eligible purchases:

• ·         All the usual school supplies, including calculators and art supplies, without limit.
• ·         All clothing, footwear, underwear, coats and jackets, swimsuits, up to $100 per item.
• ·         Diapers, disposable and non-disposable.
• ·         Jewelry, handbags, briefcases, sunglasses, accessories, hair notions, cosmetics, up to $50 per item.
• ·         Wedding apparel, up to $100 per item.

Get your shopping lists prepared. This bonanza will not be back for a whole year!

Rules, lists of eligible and non-eligible items, and examples are available here:

Get Ready for Shopping this Weekend: Arkansas State Sales Tax Holiday August 3-4 Only

Heads up everyone. Whether you have a child in school or not, you can purchase a multitude of items without paying sales tax for two days only: Saturday and Sunday, August 3-4, 2013. If you want best selection without a crowd, you can start at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. The 48-hour “Sales Tax Holiday” ends at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 4.

This is the second year Arkansas has declared this sales tax holiday. Last year was highly successful and saved residents a considerable amount of money. I’m happy to tell you a little more here so you do not miss out on this opportunity.

The sales tax holiday is primarily meant for back-to-school supplies and clothing. However, the categories are so broad, people from all walks of life can avail themselves for two days of buying without sales tax added on.

All Arkansas retailers are required by law to observe the sales tax holiday.

Here’s a partial list of eligible purchases:

·         All the usual school supplies, including calculators and art supplies, without limit.

·         All clothing, footwear, underwear, coats and jackets, swimsuits, up to $100 per item.

·         Diapers, disposable and non-disposable.

·         Jewelry, handbags, briefcases, sunglasses, accessories, hair notions, cosmetics, up to $50 per item.

·         Wedding apparel, up to $100 per item.

Get your shopping lists prepared. This bonanza will not be back for a whole year!

Rules, lists of eligible and non-eligible items, and examples are available here:

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Arkansas State Sales Tax Holiday – Don't Miss It!

This coming weekend is the one time each year where anyone in Arkansas can purchase a multitude of items without paying sales tax. The offer is good for two days only: Saturday and Sunday, August 4-5, 2012. That’s 48 hours starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and ending at 11:59 p.m. Sunday night.


Surrounding states have enjoyed similar sales tax holidays and Arkansans living near a state line would often take their money to merchants out of state. Obviously, Arkansas did not receive sales tax on those purchases. But it also meant Arkansas merchants could not compete on an even basis.

That’s why it is such a good thing that Arkansas passed a law giving our residents and merchants the same opportunity. The sales tax holiday is primarily meant for back-to-school supplies and clothing. However, the categories are so broad, people from all walks of life can avail themselves for two days of buying without sales tax added on.

Here’s a brief list of eligible purchases:

• All the usual school supplies, including calculators and art supplies, without limit.
• All clothing, footwear, underwear, coats and jackets, swimsuits, up to $100 per item.
• Diapers, disposable and non-disposable.
• Jewelry, handbags, briefcases, sunglasses, accessories, hair notions, cosmetics, up to $50 per item.
• Wedding apparel, up to $100 per item.

Here’s a complete list, but also note that there are still items that remain taxable.
Get your shopping lists prepared. This bonanza will not be back until August 2013!

Savings for Everyone August 6-7—Sales Tax Holiday

Everyone enjoys a nice holiday. The word holiday evokes family gatherings, perhaps a paid day off from work, or a trip to see grandma (or the grand kids).

How about a holiday from sales taxes on everyday items? This is a holiday unlike all others. It’s a real break for families.

For 48 hours, beginning 12:01 a.m. August 6th and ending at 12:00 p.m. August 7th, state and local taxes will not be collected on a long list of items families normally buy, especially for school. For example, all clothing costing less than $100 per item will be exempt from any sales tax. Accessories and equipment costing less than $50 per item will also be exempt. I would venture a guess that not many families are planning to buy articles of clothing costing more than $100 each.

The Arkansas Legislature passed this law in 2011 as a way to keep shoppers from going to neighboring states to take advantage of sales tax holidays there, especially at get-ready-for-back-to-school shopping.

I think this break was long overdue. Families can now do their shopping at Arkansas merchants and save gasoline at the same time.

The list of items exempt from sales tax on August 6-7 is quite generous. It includes most every normal school need you can think of: books, binders, book bags, pens, calculators, notebooks, lunchboxes, and even certain art supplies. Of course, textbooks, maps and reference materials are also included.

Many items not usually associated with back to school needs are also exempt from sales taxes on the holiday. I’ve previously mentioned items of clothing less than $100 each. The tax-exempt items include accessories such as cosmetics, wigs, wallets and purses, jewelry and watches, belts, umbrellas, and more. Accessories are limited to items costing less that $50 each.

The sales tax holiday is such a boon for average people. Between state and local taxes, most of us in NW Arkansas pay 9.25% sales tax on every item listed above. The easiest way to comprehend the savings is to round the tax to 10%. If you spend $100 on the holiday weekend, you save $10 in tax. If your local store were offering a 10% discount, people would be lining up to take advantage of the sale.

It’s interesting to note the list of tax-exempt items includes things most of us would probably overlook when getting ready for back-to-school shopping. I would not have thought about diapers, receiving blankets, swimsuits, uniforms and neckties.

So mark your calendars now for big savings August 6-7. It’s the only weekend all year where you can have a tax-free holiday.

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