A Back-to-School Tax Break for Consumers Missouri's Sales Tax Holiday -- Aug. 3rd through 5th

Families will once again get the chance to save on school supplies, thanks to legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2005 that implements a three-day back-to-school sales tax holiday. It's hard to believe that we're already half way through summer, but with some schools just weeks away from opening their doors again to students here in Southeast Missouri, parents throughout our area can breathe a little easier knowing back-to-school items, such as new clothes, notebooks and pens, won't put too much stress on their pocketbooks.

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 3, and ending at midnight on Sunday, Aug. 5, back-to-school supplies will be exempted from state sales tax. Back-to-school supplies include clothes, school supplies, and computers and their accessories. Local governments have the option of participating in the holiday by rescinding their city or county sales taxes. Depending on where you plan to shop, savings during the weekend could be more than 8 percent.

The tax waiver applies to the following purchases:

* Clothing -- any article (including footwear) having a taxable value of $100 or less.

* School supplies -- any item normally used by students in classrooms, not to exceed $50 per purchase.

* Computer software -- software with a taxable value of $350 or less.

* Personal computers -- laptop, desktops, or tower computer systems not to exceed $3,500.

* Computer peripheral devices -- devices designed for use with computers (disk drives, modems, etc.) not to exceed $3,500.

If a family with three children spends around $400 on new shoes, clothing, backpacks, and other school supplies, they could save more than $30 by purchasing these items during the sales tax holiday. A common purchase for college students is a new computer, which can be a significant expense. Consumers purchasing a $3,500 laptop computer during the holiday could save as much as $295. I encourage anyone anticipating making back-to-school purchases or anyone planning to invest in a computer to take advantage of the savings available during the holiday.

Some cities and counties have chosen not to exempt their local taxes during the 2012 holiday, so make sure you plan your back-to-school shopping accordingly. In Southeast Missouri, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Mississippi, Perry and Scott counties are all going to waive county sales tax this year during the sales tax holiday.

For an exact listing of the cities and counties participating in the holiday, visit http://dor.mo.gov/tax/business/sales/taxholiday/school/ or call the Sales/Use Tax Department at the Missouri Department of Revenue at (573) 751-2836.

I'm proud that Missouri is continuing this tax holiday program created more than seven years ago to help alleviate the financial burden so many families endure during this time of the year. Not only does this tax holiday help stimulate our economy in communities throughout our state, families across the board will benefit, too.

Contact Me

As always, I appreciate hearing your comments, opinions, and concerns. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at (573) 751-2459. You may write to me at Jason Crowell; Missouri Senate; State Capitol; Jefferson City, MO 65101, or e-mail me at: jcrowell@senate.mo.gov or visit me on the web at www.senate.mo.gov/crowell.