Politics & Government

Massachusetts Sales Tax Holiday Passed for Aug. 11 and 12

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

Time for back to school shopping at Patriot Place? Or a trip to the Wrentham outlets?

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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 take advantage of the tax holiday in Massachusetts?


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