RICHMOND, Va - If you need to trim down your back to school list or maybe just find some new pants, you may want to go shopping this weekend. August 7-9 is Virginia's "Sales Tax Holiday," where the state waves sales tax on qualifying purchases. In the past, Virginia held three different tax free weekends each year, with different qualifying items each time; however, this year the General Assembly voted to combine them into one weekend of tax relief.
Here are the types of items that qualify:
- School supplies - $20 or less per item
- Clothing and footwear - $100 or less per item
- Emergency Preparedness items (chainsaws, generators, etc.)
- Energy Star or WaterSense appliances - $2,500 or less per item
The Department of Taxation put a full list of tax free items on its website. Virginia's sales tax in 5.3 percent in the Richmond area. That means you will save about $50 on a $1,000 qualifying purchase this weekend.