Virginia sales tax holiday starts Friday

If you need a chainsaw or a pencil case — or perhaps a new pair of shoes — you may want to wait for Virginia’s sales-tax holiday, starting at midnight Friday, Aug. 2, and ending at 11:59 p.m. the following Sunday, according to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s office.

The popular event offers tax-free purchases of items for the start of school and hurricane preparation, including portable generators, gas-powered chainsaws, school supplies, qualified clothing and footwear. Energy Star and WaterSense products for home or personal use are also included.

Qualified clothing and footwear goes beyond what you may normally think of for first-day-of-school wear and includes wedding apparel (yes, the veil counts), corsets, pajamas and rubber pants. For a detailed list, visit tax.virginia.gov/virginia-sales-tax-holiday

According to U.S. News & World Report, the first tax holiday dates back to 1980 in Ohio and Michigan, which offered exemptions on cars. This year, 16 states are having a tax holiday, with many landing in the back-to-school shopping days of August.

A 2018 study by the Tax Foundation found that sales tax holidays “do not promote economic growth or significantly increase consumer purchases,” and instead just “simply shift the timing” of purchases.