Northam announces 2019 Virginia Sales Tax Holiday

Gov. Ralph Northam today announced the dates for the upcoming 2019 Virginia Sales Tax Holiday, which begins on Friday, Aug.  2, at 12:01 a.m. and ends on Sunday, Aug. 4, at 11:59 p.m.

The annual three-day sales tax holiday aims to help families save money on back-to-school purchases and encourage Virginians to take necessary precautions during hurricane season.

“The annual sales tax holiday makes many important items more affordable for Virginians as they get ready for the new school year or stock up on basic supplies,” said Northam. “I encourage families in every part of the Commonwealth to mark their calendars so they can take advantage of the savings this weekend, while also supporting the Virginia businesses in their communities.”

During the Virginia Sales Tax Holiday, you can buy qualifying goods such as school supplies, clothing, footwear, hurricane and emergency preparedness items, and Energy Smart™ and WaterSense™ products without paying sales tax.

“We want to remind all Virginians about the upcoming sales tax holiday because it only happens once each year,” said Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne. “This tax-free weekend benefits both consumers and retailers and provides a great opportunity to purchase necessary products without paying state and local sales tax.”

Here are the specific products that are eligible:

• School supplies, clothing, and footwear:
  • Qualified school supplies – $20 or less per item; and
  • Qualified clothing and footwear – $100 or less per item.=

• Hurricane and emergency preparedness products:
  • Portable generators – $1,000 or less per item;
  • Gas-powered chainsaws – $350 or less per item;
  • Chainsaw accessories – $60 or less per item; and
  • Other specified hurricane preparedness products – $60 or less per item.

• Energy Star™ and WaterSense™ products:
  • Qualifying Energy Star™ or WaterSense™ products purchased for non-commercial home or personal use – $2,500 or less per item.

You can find more information about the 2019 Virginia Sales Tax Holiday, including a more detailed list of qualifying items, on the Virginia Tax website.