The sales tax holiday will be especially beneficial for back-to-school shopping, and the tax exempt items include:
- Clothing priced at $75 or less per item.
- School supplies priced at $20 or less per item.
- School instructional material priced at $20 or less.
A full list of items can be found at the Ohio Department of Taxation FAQ page.
State Sen. Niraj Antani, R-Miamisburg, encouraged constituents to participate in Ohio’s annual sales tax holiday that started on Friday during a visit to the Kohl’s in Miamisburg. The sales tax holiday was established in 2015 and was made permanent in 2019 through Substitute Senate Bill 226, which Antani co-sponsored.
“I was honored to have been a part of the establishment of our sales tax holiday. This is one of the best things we have done to provide direct tax savings for Ohioans, and I encourage everyone to take advantage of it,” Antani said. “We should continue to expand on this great work.”
“Ohio’s back-to-school sales tax holiday is not only good for our consumers and retailers, it’s good for the state’s economy,” said Gordon Gough, Ohio Council of Retail Merchants president and CEO. “Consumers from neighboring states cross the border into Ohio to enjoy the tax-free holiday, and many consumers will take advantage of sales on items not exempt from tax. It’s a win for everyone this weekend.”
People are expected to spend record amounts on both school and college supplies after many did not have to last school year due to the pandemic, according to National Retail Federation survey.
“The pandemic forced parents and their school-aged children to quickly adapt to virtual learning, and they did it with an incredible amount of resolve and flexibility,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “We enter the new school year with plans to return to the classroom and retailers are prepared to help Americans find and purchase whatever they need to make this transition as seamless as possible.”
According to that survey, families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $848 on school items, which is $59 more than last year. Total back-to-school spending is expected to reach a record $37.1 billion, up from $33.9 billion last year and an all-time high in the survey’s history.
Items sold by mail, telephone, e-mail or internet qualify for the sales tax exemption, if the customer orders and pays for the item and the retailer accepts the order during the exemption period for immediate shipment, even if delivery is made after the exemption period.
“There is no differentiation of the type of consumer who can take advantage of this sales tax holiday,” Gary Gudmundson, communications director for the Ohio Department of Taxation, said.
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