TULSA, Okla. — Parents are looking for ways to save money on back-to-school necessities like clothes as the start of the new school year gets closer.
Aug. 6-8 is Oklahoma’s sales tax-free shopping weekend -- meaning there will be no state or local sales taxes on most clothing, shoes, and sneakers priced less than $100 per item.
A big exception, athletic wear and footwear designed primarily for athletics.
MORE >>> WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Oklahoma's 2021 Tax-Free Weekend
Andrea Boswell has six kids who range in age from barely school-age through teenagers.
Boswell stretches her back-to-school clothes-buying budget by doing most of her shopping during Tax-Free Weekend.
In Tulsa, state and local sales taxes add up to around eight and a half percent.
Boswell says she makes the most of that sales tax savings by checking stores for other discounts.
“You know I see a lot of 20% off and then you add in the eight and a half percent… that’s almost 30% off,” she says.
“I mean it’s a big difference.”
Sales tax-free isn’t just for purchases in Oklahoma’s brick and mortar stores. It’s also available for eligible purchases made online, by phone, by e-mail and for eligible items put on layaway.
“K through 12 families are planning to spend about $850 on average which is around $60 more than they spent last year,” says Katherine Cullen from the National Retail Federation.
Cullen says the increase is partly because more families anticipate sending students back to classrooms this year instead of having them at home taking virtual classes.
The experts tell us another way to stretch your back-to-school clothes budget is to do basic shopping during Tax-Free Weekend then wait a few weeks for retailers to put back-to-school clothes on clearance.
Those discounts can often save you up to half-off of the regular price or more.
For more details on what is and isn’t sales-tax-free this weekend, check with the Oklahoma Tax Commission website.
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