Ohio’s annual sales tax holiday will return from August 7 to August 9, offering tax breaks on select clothing, school supplies, and instructional materials, though the event will be smaller in scale compared to last year.

Local Impact

The tax break applies to clothing priced at $75 or less and school supplies and instructional materials priced at $20 or less. Naomi Goines, a mother of a 3-year-old who lives in downtown Cincinnati, said the timing of the holiday is helpful for families preparing for the school year.

Joshua Holton, a parent with children in the Cincinnati Public School District, said the savings, while smaller than last year, are still valuable. For some shoppers and small business owners, this year’s holiday may feel like a step backward. Last year’s event lasted two weeks and applied to a wider range of items valued at up to $500.

Business Perspective

Seth Pope, owner of Well Made Vintage on West Fourth Street in downtown Cincinnati, said the extended holiday last year encouraged more people to shop locally. As he prepares for this year’s event, Pope said he plans to offer additional sales to attract customers.

Experts recommend that families looking to save on back-to-school shopping take inventory of what they already have at home, discuss budgets with children, and make a list of essential items versus non-essential ones.

Rep. Adam Mathews, R-Lebanon, who helped get the bills passed, says revenue the state generates as a result of the shortened tax holiday will help property owners who’ve been feeling squeezed. The property tax reforms will be permanent, and the sales tax holiday will continue to float in size, depending on how much revenue the state collects throughout the years.

Original reporting: WLWT Cincinnati — read the source article.