Maryland shoppers cashing in on tax-free shopping, savings this week

OXON HILL, Md. ( DC News Now ) — Shoppers in Maryland are taking advantage of the state’s tax-free shopping this week , with savings on clothes, shoes and backpacks.

Many Maryland school districts head back to class in two weeks on Aug. 26. With the clock ticking, students and their families are getting prepared and stocking up on supplies.

Through Saturday, Aug. 17, shoppers will get to skip paying Maryland’s 6% sales tax on clothing items and shoes priced under $100 and the first $40 of a backpack purchase is also untaxed.

The tax-free discount does not apply to other school supplies. Some shoppers who talked to DC News Now on Monday said they wish the savings extended to other back-to-school essentials.

“It’s been really expensive, not like when we were growing up. It was $0.50 for a pack of notebook paper now it’s $1.99,” said mom-of-four, Keli Brown.

Brown said she’s spending more than double what she spent on school supplies just a few years ago.

“Altogether, I spent $253 on school supplies,” Brown said.

Shopper Kendall Wilson said he’s been helping with back-to-school shopping for his younger brother by shopping at retailer discounts at the Tanger Outlets in Oxon Hill, on top of taking advantage of the tax-free savings.

“We just got my brother a pair of shoes from Nike. Today, they were about $60, normally they would be $130,” Wilson said.

On Monday, Target in Oxon Hill also advertised in-store savings on different brands of backpacks and clothes, able to be stacked on top of the tax-free discount.

For those who prefer to shop from home, you can still save online if your order has qualifying items and ships to a Maryland address before the Saturday deadline.

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