Ohio's Sales Tax Holiday has begun for 2020, despite the COVID pandemic limiting crowds in stores and putting the whole back-to-school season into limbo for many parents.
After all, how can you shop for school if you don't even know if the kids are going back to school?
However, every child will need gym shoes at some point.
So this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Aug. 7-9, anyone can shop tax free in Ohio for school items.
You can enjoy the 6-7% tax savings even if you live in Kentucky or Indiana, though you may have to fight Brent Spence Bridge traffic to get to the store.
In addition, Ohio residents can save online, as Amazon will give everyone with an Ohio mailing address a break on taxes this weekend.
But some do's and don'ts before you go.
Do....
- Do purchase school supplies costing $20 or less each,
- Do purchase clothing and shoes costing less than $75 per item. Best of all, it does not have to be specific school clothing: baby clothes and even adult clothing qualifies as long as each item is priced under $75. (And if your child is Zoom learning this fall, a couple of new pairs of pajamas might be perfect.)
Don't....
- Don't shop for laptops or iPads this weekend unless you absolutely need one. You won't get any tax break.
- Don't buy gym shoes costing more than $75 (most basketball shoes cost well over that price). They won't qualify for the tax break, and again you'll be fighting crowds for no reason.
You may want to wait until next week for those purchases.
Yes, it seems ridiculous there is no tax break on the one thing every child needs this year, a laptop for online instruction. I say, "Doesn't that stink?"
Finally, stores will be limiting crowds due to social distancing, so there is a chance you may have to wait to enter the school section. Oh, and don't forget to wear your cool Spiderman mask.
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