Massachusetts Tax-Free Weekend 2015: 6.25-Percent Sales Tax Suspended On Most Items For 2 Days

The Massachusetts tax-free weekend 2015 is almost here — an event shoppers wait all year for in the state. Retailers are preparing for the huge event statewide that begins Saturday, August 15, and runs through Sunday, August 16.

This is a great time for shoppers to save on back-to-school supplies, clothing, electronics, and other in-demand items to be purchased.

According to Mass Live, the state’s 6.25-percent sales tax is suspended for shoppers on most purchases of less than $2,500. Basically, people are saving on purchases that range from $50 to $2,499.

Among some of the eligible items shoppers can take advantage of during the big tax-free weekend event are back-to-school items consisting of pens, pencils, paper, notebooks, erasers, rulers, binders, folders, scissors, glue, watercolors, and staplers. When it comes to electronics, generally desktops, laptops, keyboards, mouses, software, hard drives, and memory cards are exempt from the state’s sales tax.

The State Department of Revenue explains that “there is no Massachusetts sales tax on any article of clothing unless the sales price exceeds $175. It it exceeds $175, only the increment over $175 is subject to tax. If the price of an article of clothing exceeds the threshold, the first $175 may be deducted from the amount subject to tax. The $2,500 threshold amount is not increased by $175.”

In other words, a customer purchases a wedding dress during the tax-free weekend for $2,550; tax is due on $2,375 ($2,550 – $175), as the report reveals.

What purchases aren’t eligible during the Massachusetts tax-free weekend 2015 event? Meals, telecommunications services, steam, gas, electricity, alcohol, and tobacco.

Mark Wineburg is the owner of Yes Computer in Northampton, which is an Apple retailer. He said that the annual sales tax holiday far exceeds Black Friday in terms of sales volume and popularity.

“Christmas doesn’t hold a candle to it. This has been even better than the previous six years.”

A great resource for FAQ is on the New Bedford Guide. It covers all scenarios of purchases made during the Massachusetts tax-free weekend 2015 event, from coupons to rain checks and everything in between. It covers policies on layaways, and gives examples of how grouping together taxable and non-taxable items is run through. There are explanations on how to handle rebates and special offers, as well.

Motor vehicles and motorboats are also excluded from the sales tax holiday. According to the policy on rent, if rentals, excluding vehicles and motorboats, is paid in full on August 15 and 16, the Massachusetts sales tax holiday applies.

[Photo by Dan Kitwood / Getty Images]