Posted on 05/19/2008 10:56:02 AM PDT by JZelle
RICHMOND (AP) — Virginians already have been excused from paying sales taxes on back-to-school supplies and energy-saving appliances.
Now it's hurricane-preparedness supplies.
The state's first Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday begins Sunday and continues through May 31. During that week, sales tax will not be collected on generators costing $1,000 or less, or on nearly two dozen other items ranging from flashlights to duct tape.
State officials hope the 5 percent savings will encourage shoppers to stock up on items they would need if the state gets slammed by another storm akin to Hurricane Isabel, which in 2003 left about 1.8 million Virginians without power, some for weeks.
"As we've seen time and again, including recently with several tornadoes hitting the state, weather can be very unpredictable and end up causing a lot of damage and hardship," said Tax Commissioner Janie E. Bowen. "Virginians should seriously consider equipping themselves for the upcoming hurricane season, and saving the 5 percent in the process is an added bonus."
The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1.
The General Assembly approved the tax break in 2007, based on a similar initiative in Florida for three years. Florida lawmakers, facing a $5 billion budget shortfall, did not reauthorize the tax break for 2008, leaving Virginia and Louisiana as the only states this year with a sales-tax exemption on hurricane-preparedness supplies.
"The reason it's so important, and the reason the state backed it for the three years, was that retailers can't really respond the way consumers want them to in the three days before a hurricane hits," said Rick McAllister, president of the Florida Retail Federation. "People are panicked and buying everything on the shelves."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
I wonder if the tax break will apply to pressure treated lumber and decking screws.
I’ve got a deck extension I’s like to get completed before the next hurricane.
Sorry for the ebonics. It should have read:
“...extension I’d like to get completed...”
Where can we get a list of items that are included?
http://www.vaemergency.com/threats/hurricane/2008taxholiday.cfm
Or here, along with other info:
http://www.tax.virginia.gov/site.cfm?alias=HurricanePreparednessEquipmentHoliday
Oh Yeah, those generators for under $1,000 will be reliable.
TC
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