Sales tax holiday extended this year and more items qualify

NILES, Ohio (WKBN) – Ohio’s tax-free holiday has always been a great time to do back-to-school shopping, but this year there’s much more that qualifies for the tax exemption.

Shopping for back-to-school supplies can be expensive. That’s why parents have rushed to stores for Ohio’s tax-free weekend — normally three days out of the year where you could buy clothes for $75 or less and school supplies for $20 or less tax-free.

Chris Day from Meijer says they see people buying a lot of back-to-school items like crayons and pencils as well as clothing and shoes.

“But I would say most of all it’s the back-to-school items,” he said.

This year the rules for the tax holiday look a bit different. The first change is expanding the length of the tax holiday from three days to 10 days.

“Normally it’s always been about a weekend for the sales but now it’s 10 days, so it gives everyone a little more time,” said Johnny Chechitelli at the Eastwood Mall Complex.

The other big change is the items that qualify for the tax exemption. Most items $500 or less won’t be taxed.

The few things that don’t qualify for the tax exemption include alcohol, tobacco, vaping or marijuana products, vehicles, and watercraft.

“We do expect the traffic’s going to increase based on that week with it being tax free and our customers being able to take full advantage of that,” Day said.

Restaurant visits are also included in the tax break but takeout is not.

In the past, things like a $90 pair of shoes or a $400 TV wouldn’t have qualified during the tax holiday but this year they will.

“I think this benefits everyone really. The tenants here at the mall are going to see a lot more traffic and the people coming in to shop, there’s so much more that you can buy this year,” Chechitelli said.

The sales tax holiday starts Tuesday and extends through August 8.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.