Back to School Generic Generic picture from school (Cox Media Group)

MISSISSIPPI — The 2022 Sales Tax Holiday takes place between 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 29, and 12:00 Midnight Saturday, July 30.

With inflation squeezing all our budgets, tax-free weekends can be a smart time to shop and save.

During tax-free weekends sales tax on certain items are cut to make back-to-school shopping a little more affordable. No paperwork or coupon is required. The state sales tax will just be waived at checkout for all valid purchases.

In Mississippi, all clothing and school supplies under $100 per item are exempt from tax.

That includes backpacks, binders, chalk, calculators, crayons, dictionaries, dividers, erasers, glue, highlighters, notebooks, lunch boxes, paint brushes, pens and pencils, rulers, scissors, watercolors, and writing tables.

It’s important to note that the tax exemption is based on the individual price of the item, not the total cost of the purchase.

For instance, if two shirts are bought at $50 a piece along with a $75 pair of jeans and a $120 pair of shoes, only the shoes will be taxed.

If an item is on sale, that sale price counts towards the sales tax holiday. So, if a pair of jeans is $120 but is on sale at 50 percent off and costs 60, those pants will not be taxed.

If you don’t like crowds and the fuss of in-store shopping, you can still save. Tax-free weekend 2022 will allow you to shop online for qualifying items if the following apply:

Even if your little ones aren’t ready for school, you can still save money. Diapers and baby clothes are included in the tax-free weekend.

You can also use the tax-free weekend to get basics for the whole family: socks, underwear, running shoes, pajamas, workout clothes, bras — things you need but might not think about restocking.

In Mississippi, computers aren’t eligible for sales tax exemption during the holiday weekend.

Any school supply or clothing apparel that costs over $100 will still include tax.

If an eligible item and a non-eligible item are sold together as a unit, whether or not tax is included will be based on the price of the more expensive item.

For instance, if a $50 taxable item is sold as a unit along with a $30 non-taxable item, the tax will still be included on the entire purchase as it is sold as a single unit.

‘Buy one get one free’ sales will also still include tax if the item costs more than $100. For example, if jeans are ‘Buy one get one free’ and one pair costs $120, that pair will be taxed, while the $60, half-off pair will not be taxed.

Coupons, discounts, and rebates on items could still be taxed. Coupons can be offered on any item over or under the $100 limit, but if an item originally costs over $100, that item will still be taxed even if the discount puts it under that $100 threshold.

There are a number of things you might be surprised to find out are not tax-free during the holiday, including some clothing items like belts and belt buckles.

Protective equipment like respirators, masks, goggles, and helmets are not exempt.

CLICK HERE for a more complete list of items eligible and non-eligible for clothing, footwear, and accessories.

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