Target is back-to-school expenses

Macy’s joined Washington Retail this week in urging a House Finance Committee to approve an August sales tax holiday for back-to-school expenses.

HB 1559 would allow a three-day holiday weekend from sales tax to give parents and teachers a break on expenses for clothing and school supplies. According to the current language in the bill, eligible clothing items would have to be less than $100 and less than $10 for supplies.

Speaking on behalf of the bill were Mark Johnson, Senior VP of Policy and Government Affairs and Opio Dupree, a Macy’s VP of Government and Public Affairs.

Johnson told committee members that 17 states have successfully promoted sales tax holidays for back-to-school shopping. The events are heavily promoted and attract shoppers from neighboring states who generate higher-than-normal tax revenues by buying taxable items as well as back-to-school items, Johnson said.

Dupree reminded the committee that parents are financially burdened each year with required school purchases and that teachers frequently need to purchase classroom supplies in cash-strapped school districts. He noted that a tax holiday would be especially useful for low-income families or families with several children.

Click here to watch the testimony of Johnson and Dupree.