Back to School Savings: Tax-Free Week Began Today!

Rhona Cohen

Executive Editor

While kids are enjoying their last weeks of summer, parents are thinking about what their children will need to get ready for the school year. Back to school shopping can be expensive, but will be a little less so during Connecticut’s sales tax during “Sales Tax-Free Week”.

Timed every year to coincide with back-to-school shopping, the State of Connecticut allows sales tax free purchases of many items of clothing and footwear during the week that begins this Sunday, August 21, and running through next Saturday, August 27. During Sales Tax-Free Week, most individual items of clothing and footwear priced under $100 are exempt from Connecticut’s sales tax.

By virtue of the Governor’s and state legislator’s decision to include this in the budget, Connecticut is one of just 16 states that offer a tax-free holiday for back-to-school clothing and footwear purchases.

“According to the National Retail Association,” noted State Senator Terry Gerratana (D, New Britain, Berlin, Farmington), “the average family with children in grades K-12 plans to spend $630 on back-to-school shopping while the average college student or college family will spend $899 on back-to-college shopping. That means Connecticut residents can expect to save about $4.5 million in sales taxes next week.”

The sale tax exemption applies to individual items priced at less than $100, but there are no limits on how many items you can buy. Also some items are not tax-free at all, such as goggles, shin guards, cleats or protective sports equipment. And, if retailers put items that normally cost $100 on sale for $99.99 or less, they become tax-free for the week as well.

“I hope you’ll make some time next week to take advantage of these tax savings for many of your back-to-school needs!” added Gerratana.