Shop Maryland Tax Free This Week

You can shop for apparel and footwear through August 20, without paying sales tax on items priced under $100. Apparel and footwear items priced over $100 will not qualify.

Ironically, school supplies are NOT tax free, even though this has been promoted by state officials as a back-to-school shopping week.

Maryland State Comptroller Peter Franchot pointed out today, in an interview on WBAL Radio, what a huge boost this will be for struggling Marylanders because it will save them $60 in sales tax for every $1000 they spend. I guess he's expecting struggling Marylanders to still have the resources to spend $940 on clothes and shoes in addition to funds for necessary school supplies.

This tax holiday is expected to cost Maryland $15 million in tax revenue, just weeks before a special session of the General Assembly to discuss raising taxes. Yet most purchases of apparel and footwear in the coming week would have occurred with or without the tax-free holiday - or they've been postposed from the previous week or advanced from next week or later.

Shop Maryland, in my opinion, is political propaganda rather than a serious effort to help struggling Marylanders who may need help with back-to-school needs. Just sayin'...

But you might as well take advantage of it and save a few bucks if apparel and footwear is on your fall shopping list. Purchase it this wee!

Does Your State Have a Tax Free Holiday? (Click on the link to find out.)