Alabama Retail Association

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.

Retail sales could increase in Alabama during the holiday season.

The Alabama Retail Association expects holiday sales to hold steady or even improve from last year's numbers. Tax reports from the Alabama Revenue Department showed Alabama shoppers spent almost 8 percent more in September 2020 than in 2019.

Holiday shopping could help businesses that have been hurt by disruptions caused by the coronavirus. 

Students in Alabama are heading back to school soon, and their families will get some help getting them ready.

This weekend is the Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. This means sales taxes will not be charged on items needed to get kids ready for school.

Melissa Warnke is the spokeswoman for the Alabama Retail Association. She says only the four percent state sales tax is guaranteed to be removed, but many cities and counties are also participating…

Alabamians will have to schedule their back-to-school shopping a bit early this year if they want to buy tax free. The sales tax holiday has been moved up a few weeks to this weekend – starting today.

Officials made the move because the Tax Free Weekend started to fall after school has started for some systems. The Tax Free Weekend gives relief to consumers, but it has also boosted the economy during the 12 years Alabama has participated.

The family of a woman who was killed in an explosion at the Ultratec pyrotechnics factory in north Alabama has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

Reports indicate the family of Virginia Marie Sanderson filed the lawsuit yesterday. The family is seeking an unspecified amount of damages from the company. Sanderson was one of two employees killed in February's explosion at the Owens Cross Roads facility just south of Huntsville.

Alabamians wanting to stock up on supplies for the next round of bad weather have a tax-free shopping weekend coming up.

The state is waiving its sales tax and more than 200 cities and counties are waiving their local sales taxes from Friday, Feb. 21 through Sunday, Feb. 23 for severe weather preparedness supplies. That includes flashlights, first-aid kits, battery-powered or hand-cranked radios, plastic sheeting, batteries, duct tape, plywood, fire extinguishers, window film and coolers.