2024 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday
By Sheila Duncan
Reporter
The start of the 2023-2024 school year is approaching, and soon kids will leave behind their summer freedoms to return to the classrooms. However, there are multiple reasons for parents to look forward to this transition. Alabama’s 19th annual sales tax holiday for school-related items begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 19, 2024, and ends at midnight Sunday, July 21, 2024, giving shoppers the opportunity to purchase certain school supplies, computers, books and clothing free of the state’s four percent sales or use tax.
Clothing – $100 or less, per article of clothing includes all human wearing apparel suitable for general use. This is not an all-inclusive list. • Belts • Boots • Caps • Coats • Diapers • Dresses • Gloves • Gym Suits • Hats • Hosiery • Jackets • Jeans • Neckties • Pajamas • Pants • Raincoats • Robes • Sandals • Scarves • School Uniforms • Shirts • Shoes • Shorts • Socks • Sneakers • Underwear.
Computers, computer software, and school computer supplies – A single purchase with a sales price of $750 or less. Computers – For a purchase to be eligible, a computer may include a laptop, desktop, or tower computer system which consists of a central processing unit (CPU), and devices such as a display monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers sold as a computer package. Computer parts and devices not sold as part of a package with the CPU, will not qualify for the exemption. Computer software School computer supplies – An item commonly used by a student in a course of study in which a computer is used. All-inclusive list includes: • Computer storage media; diskettes, compact disks • Handheld electronic schedulers, except devices that are cellular phones • Personal digital assistants, except devices that are cellular phones • Computer printers • Printer supplies for computers (printer paper, printer ink)
School supplies, school art supplies, and school instructional material. Sales price of $50 or less, per item (noncommercial purchases). This is an all-inclusive list. School supplies • Binders • Blackboard chalk • Book bags • Calculators • Cellophane tape • Compasses • Composition books • Crayons • Erasers • Folders (expandable, pocket, plastic, and manila) • Glue, paste, and paste sticks • Highlighters • Index cards • Index card boxes • Legal pads • Lunch boxes • Markers • Notebooks • Protractors • Paper (colored, construction, copy, graph, loose leaf ruled notebook, manila, and tracing papers and poster board) • Pencil boxes and other school supply boxes • Pencil sharpeners • Pencils • Pens • Rulers • Scissors • Writing tablets, • Clay and glazes • Paints (acrylic, tempora, oil, and watercolors) • Paintbrushes for artwork • Sketch and drawing pads • Reference maps and globes • Required textbooks on an official schoolbook list with a sales price of more than $30 and less than $50.
So, mark your calendar and take advantage of the tax free holiday on Friday, July 19th through Sunday, July 21st.
