By Patrick Massey
It is estimated that the average family will spend more than $600 per child on back-to-school shopping this year. This time of year can bring a financial burden to many families across Arkansas. That is why Arkansas officials are reminding the public about the upcoming Arkansas sales tax holiday.
This year, the event will begin at 12:01 am on Saturday, Aug. 5, and will continue until 11:59 pm on Sunday, Aug. 6.
“Act 757” of 2011 provides for a sales tax holiday in Arkansas during the first weekend of August each year. A sales tax holiday is a temporary period when state and local sales taxes are not collected or paid on the purchase of certain products.
Clothing less than $100 per item is exempt during the weekend, as well as clothing accessories less than $50 per item. Clothing accessories include handbags, cosmetics, jewelry, umbrellas, and more. Most school supplies, including book bags, binders, paper, crayons, pencils, and rulers, are also exempt.
In the 2021 Regular Session, Arkansas legislators passed “Act 944,” which amended the sales tax holiday to include electronics. Examples include a calculator, desktop computer, cell phone, e-reader, computer mouse, laptop, monitor, printer, keyboard, and tablets. It does not include video game systems or televisions. Statewide, “Act 944” is estimated to save Arkansans an additional $650,000 in taxes a year.
Online purchases for the specified items will be tax-free as long as the transaction processes between 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 6 and 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 7 and the items are shipped to an Arkansas address.
The sales tax holiday was created to help Arkansas families. A full list of tax-exempt items and answers to frequently asked questions about Arkansas’s Sales Tax Holiday are available at https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/
If you live in Oklahoma, the Tax-Free Weekend begins Friday, Aug. 4, and ends at midnight on Sunday, Aug. 6. More information can be found at https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/tax/documents/resources/publications/infographics/SalesTaxHoliday.pdf/
First day of school reminder:
Cossatot River School District – August 15
Mena School District – August 16
Ouachita River School District (Acorn and Oden) – August 21
Smithville Public Schools – August 9
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