Ohio House of Representatives
COLUMBUS — State Representative Gary Scherer (R-Circleville) today announced that a sales tax holiday, created through the passage of Senate Bill 264, is set to be held the first weekend of August. The intent of the sales tax holiday is to provide parents with some tax relief during back-to-school shopping in preparation for the new school year and to stimulate economic activity for Ohio’s retailers.
From Friday, Aug. 5 through Sunday, Aug. 7, certain items will be exempt from state and county sales and use taxes. Clothing items up to $75 each and school supplies or instructional materials up to $20 each will be free of taxes if purchased during this weekend. This includes a variety of items, from pencils and paper to pants and jackets to prepare for the fall.
“I am excited to see our community benefit once again from this tax holiday,” Scherer said. “I think this program goes a long way to preparing students for their first day back to school, as well as saving Ohio families money.”
This year’s back-to-school sales tax holiday is the second consecutive one to be held in the state of Ohio. During last year’s weekend of tax-free sales, an extra $4.7 million in consumption was generated, along with saving consumers approximately $3.3 million, according to a study produced by the University of Cincinnati.
The study also found that Ohio counties that border other states experienced a 15.48 percent increase in sales tax collection, leading to the conclusion that many out-of-state families traveled to Ohio to take part in the tax holiday.
It is the goal of the state legislature that this year’s sales tax holiday will produce similar results, ultimately saving Ohioans more money during their back-to-school shopping.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
