Tax-free Weekend...who made the decisions??? (Austin, Cool: for sale, school, sales tax)

[10scoachrick]

Tax-free Weekend...who made the decisions???

So, I made sure to wait on ordering some new running shoes from New Balance(who charges sales tax to TX folks)...waiting for the tax 'holiday'. That went nicely as they had a free shipping promo also and some killer deals if your wife wears a size 10 shoe! Been thinking of a new laptop for me and knew Texas didn't include such technology for this no-sales-tax weekend. Cool enough...

BUT, I looked at the list of 12 states with the tax holiday this weekend and seven of them DO include computers as non-tax items(and four of those include other 'techie' items as well).

I wonder what the thinking was NOT to include moderately priced computers when many are purchased for back-to-school and why some states DID include them.

It's not an Austin thing per se; but I reckon the decisions were made downtown, so it kinda IS!

Dang. It's only 30-35 bucks; but I might have pounced this weekend instead of sitting on the fence.

[Trainwreck20]

We don't really pay that much attention to it, other than making sure we do NOT go clothes shopping in a brick-and-mortar store this weekend.....

[ashbeeigh]

The legislator makes the decision. https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/...ations/98-490/

[Bo]

I wouldn't drive to a store or spend time searching a web site that was having a 10% off sale. That's really all the sales tax holiday amounts to. It amazes me that so many people think it's so great.

Now if they had a sales tax holiday on vehicles at this time of year, I might be motivated to go car shopping!

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by Bo

I wouldn't drive to a store or spend time searching a web site that was having a 10% off sale. That's really all the sales tax holiday amounts to. It amazes me that so many people think it's so great.

Now if they had a sales tax holiday on vehicles at this time of year, I might be motivated to go car shopping!

But everybody is having back-to-school "sales"(like the $140 New Balance shoes I got for under $40 !!!); so an additional 8.25% is just icing on the cake. Another example is the computer deal I was considering...lowest price of the year PLUS the tax savings(IF I happened to be in NM or LA on vacation!). I wouldn't mind saving another $35 on an item I've been considering for weeks.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

We don't really pay that much attention to it, other than making sure we do NOT go clothes shopping in a brick-and-mortar store this weekend.....

Hah! I drove by Kohl's at lunch today and remarked to myself about the nearly full parking lot...then I remembered!

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

The legislator makes the decision. https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/...ations/98-490/

I reckon you meant the legislaTURE; but I didn't see any reference to the hows and whys of choosing items to include/exclude or what sort of process it takes to pass the regulation or change it. I gave up after a couple of links, I'll admit.

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

I reckon you meant the legislaTURE; but I didn't see any reference to the hows and whys of choosing items to include/exclude or what sort of process it takes to pass the regulation or change it. I gave up after a couple of links, I'll admit.

Should have added an S. Legislators. Anyway. They added school supplies a few years ago, before it was just clothing.

[centralaustinite]

Some years I do some on-line shopping but for me, tax-free weekend is just a reason to avoid shopping altogether!

You would have to dig deep in the committee hearings etc when the legislation was approved to find out how and why certain items were added or excluded, kinda like what items qualifies for sales tax to begin with -- knowing the lege, it wasn't a pretty process.

[JH6]

yawn, I'm not getting off my couch for a 8.25% off sale.

Most items can be delivered to my door from ebay for cheaper or amazon prime.