Tax-free holiday weekend starts Friday

The state-wide tax free holiday weekend kicks off this Friday and that could mean big savings for some shoppers and parents getting ready for back to school.

“It is (shopping for school supplies) definitely a financial burden,” said mother of two, Tanya Casselman, “I think everybody is strapped for cash right now and with all that the children need to be successful in school, schools are having to cut back and I think parents are having to pick up a little bit of the slack.”

Joye Avant is trying to get ahead of the back to school shopping rush by taking her kids school supply shopping one day before the statewide tax-free weekend.

“It’s much better for me because I always found a parking space very quick,” said Avant, “I’m with three children so getting them in and not having to fight a crowd, I was just like come on we’re going to knock it out and there’s nobody over here.“

Julie Cherney who didn’t want to wait until this weekend took the day off Wednesday to get her children’s school list completed before everything she said goes out of stock.

“It’s just crazy with the all of the traffic all the tourists and we don’t to be in the crowd,” said Cherney, “we’d like to just be organized and do things on our own time.“

Besides school supplies, the states 6% sales tax including city tax will be waived on clothing and footwear, backpacks, bedding, computer hardware and software.

This year’s tax-free weekend is scheduled for August 7 through 9, beginning at 12:01 am this Friday and ending at 11:59pm Sunday night. The same goes for North Carolina.

Some of the school supplies included on this year’s tax free list are notebooks, folders, pens, pencils, binders, crayons, notebooks, glue, all types of paper, pencil boxes, rulers compasses, markers and scissors.

To find a complete listing of taxed and tax free items visit: http:// http://www.sctax.org/2009SalesTaxHolidayDates.htm