Are you ready for your kids to go back to school? Summer is almost over and it's time for back to school shopping. So, dust off your credit cards and head to the mall! Thanks to the Sate of Georgia sales tax holiday on August 1st and 2nd, you can save money on certain purchases of items like clothing, school supplies and computers.
The popular event exempts clothing and footwear of $100 or less per item; general school supplies to be used in the classroom or in classroom-related activities with a sales price of $20.00 or less per item and single purchases, with a sales price of $1,000.00 or less, of personal computers, including electronic book readers, laptops and personal computer related accessories and software. The exemption excludes cellular devices, furniture,and computer-related accessories designed for recreational use.
The exemption does not apply to: cellular devices, clothing accessories, computer-related accessories designed for recreational use, eyewea, furniture, jewelry, handbags, rentals, umbrellas, watches and watchbands. Items are not necessarily exempt from sales tax just because they are required by a child's school or sports team. Visit the website HERE for a complete list of items that qualify.
The holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday and lasts until 11:59 p.m. Saturday. Participation in the sales tax holiday is required; retailers cannot opt out.
Retailers may not charge sales tax on exempt items sold during the holiday and tell shoppers to request a refund from the Department of Revenue. In cases where the sales tax is charged on purchases that should be exempt, a customer's only option to obtain a refund is from the retailer.
Georgia offers two sales tax holidays -- one in August for back to school items and one October 4-6 for energy- and water-efficient products
For more information on this subject, contact the Taxpayer Services Division at -877-423-6711 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
