Some emergency preparedness goods will be a little cheaper this weekend.
The severe weather tax holiday starts on Friday, and will let shoppers buy tax free certain emergency preparedness items that cost $60 or less, like batteries, portable radios, and tie-down kits.
This is the tenth year that the state of Alabama has partnered with the Alabama Retail Association to tax-exempt emergency goods.
Nancy Dennis, the Director of Public Relations for the Alabama Retail Association, said that the severe weather tax-holiday has its roots in the tornado super-outbreak that affected Alabama in 2011.
“So the severe weather sales tax holiday dates back to the April 2011 tornadoes,” Dennis said. “The holiday was created as a result of that and has run every year since and we are in our tenth anniversary.”
Dennis also said that the tax-holiday weekend serves as a reminder for Alabamians to stay emergency-prepared.
“It's a reminder and an opportunity especially in this year when we have been in a state of emergency for almost a year related to the pandemic, and then we have also had, even early 2021, has been a fairly heavy year for natural disasters,” Dennis said.
The tax holiday begins Friday, and ends at midnight on Sunday. All eligible items will be state sales-tax free, and local tax-exempt in participating cities and counties.
To see if your city or county is participating visit https://revenue.alabama.gov/sales-use/sales-tax-holidays/alabama-back-to-school-sales-tax-holiday-participating-localities/