HOWARD, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Back to school shoppers looking to take advantage of this year’s Tax-Free Holiday, will have to find another way to save on school supplies.
With summer vacation finally coming to an end, students like Bella Callahan are already looking for new school supplies.
“It bittersweet going back to school. I’m going to be a senior so I need notebooks, folders, stuff for my locker, pens, and pencil. Normally it cost about $100 for all of our stuff.”
Since back to school shopping can get pretty expensive, Wisconsin held its first tax free holiday for shoppers in early August last year.
During that time, shoppers like Callahan could buy select clothing, technology, and other supplies without paying the 5% sales tax. She tells FOX 11 that was a good deal.
“I think they should have a tax free weekend because it helps a lot of parents. Especially when they only have one income and grandparents have to help.”
The Tax-Free Weekend was also beneficial for a lot of stores in the state.
“It helps all the retailers when we have the tax free because they would buy the bigger stuff. If you had students going back to college they would buy things like furniture, desks and that kind of stuff,” said Meijer Store Manager Don Mettler.
But Democratic Governor Tony Evers has confirmed that the state will no longer participate in the event this year. He said it was a one time deal enacted under the former Republican Governor Scott Walker.
“I think parents are going to be purchasing school supplies whether they have an incentive or not. I just don’t think the incentive actually worked.”
Without the Tax-Free Weekend, Mettler tells FOX 11 some stores are already looking at other ways to provide financial relief to shoppers
“One of the things we are doing at Meijer to offset that is giving 15% off to all teachers. So if they come in and show their ID at the service they can get that coupon, and us it all the way till the 28th of September.”
16 states will hold a sales tax holiday this year, which is down from a peak of 19 in 2010.
