State Senator Frank M. Ruff (R-Southside VA) today reminded parents and friends of school children of Virginia’s back-to-school sales tax holiday set for this coming weekend. A long list of school related items will be exempt from the state portion of the sales tax from Friday until Midnight Sunday.
In issuing the reminder Senator Ruff stated “as hectic as the lives of parents are, I wanted to make sure their memory was jogged about this opportunity for savings. Last year an estimated $125 Million in purchases were made on these items during the ‘holiday.’ Since this is the second year, hopefully even more people will take advantage of it.
“Actually, this holiday is not just for parents. Anyone who buys school-related items will receive the exemption – grandparents, aunts and uncles, everyone. And I you are planning to purchase items for a charitable donation, this is a good time to do that as well,” said Senator Ruff.
Enacted into law by the General Assembly in 2006, the holiday is a permanent event. It is set for the first weekend in August henceforth. A list of eligible items can be found at the Virginia Department of Taxation, as well as a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s).
According to Ruff “my experience has been that when tax cuts or exemptions are first enacted they receive a lot of attention. However, over time they tend to be forgotten. In Virginia in recent years we have eliminated the marriage penalty, the estate tax, the state portion of the sales tax on groceries and the sales tax on non-prescription drugs.
“Citizens need do nothing out of the ordinary to receive these tax breaks; but the back-to-school sales tax holiday is different. It only comes once a year and just for 48 hours. That is why I wanted to remind the families and friends of our school children about this excellent chance for savings,’ concluded Senator Ruff.