Politics & Government

Massachusetts Sales Tax Holiday Passed for Aug. 11-12

The tax break was part of a larger economic development bill the Legislature passed last week.

 

Time for back to school shopping at Legacy Place? Or a trip to the Wrentham outlets? Or a trip to the South Shore Plaza?

Saturday, Aug. 11 and Sunday, Aug. 12 would be a good time to go.

Find out what's happening in Dedhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As part of the jobs bill passed on the last day of the legislative session, lawmakers in Boston passed a two-day tax holiday.

The 115-page bill, passed last Tuesday, included a two-day holiday Aug. 11 and 12 from the state's 6.25 percent sales tax, according to the Boston Globe

Find out what's happening in Dedhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Excluded from the tax holiday are restaurant meals, cars, motorboats, tobacco and any item that costs more than $2,500. To offset the loss of revenue, Gov. Deval Patrick set aside $20 milliion in a supplemental budget he filed early last month.

Massachusetts was one of 17 states in the country to offer a sales tax holiday in 2011, according to Forbes. With the exception of 2009, the state has held a tax holiday every summer for the past nine years. 

The bill also allows for $30 million in state grants to spur economic development, particularly in scientific research and advanced technology manufacturing, the Globe reports.

Call for comments: Do you plan to take advantage of the tax holiday in Massachusetts? If so tell how in our comments section. 


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