Shoppers across the Magnolia State will have a chance to get more bang for their buck all weekend long by avoiding the state sales tax on eligible items.
A new bill that moved up the holiday and extended it by a day was passed unanimously by the Mississippi legislature this year. Lawmakers wanted the holiday to be earlier, and longer, so that more Mississippians could take advantage. The tax relief will last until Sunday, July 14 at 11:59 p.m.
“We extended the holiday by an extra day so y’all can enjoy even more tax free shopping in Mississippi,” Governor Tate Reeves said about the sales tax holiday.
The sales tax will not be tacked on during the holiday on clothing, footwear, or school supplies if the sales price of a single item is less than $100. The same applies for items purchased online if they are ordered within the tax-free weekend period and the cost of single items is under $100. Many Mississippi businesses, like Northpark Mall in Ridgeland, are piling more discounts on top of the tax break, hoping to bring in even more shoppers.
“A lot of our retailers are doing deals on top of tax free,” Northpark Mall Marketing and Business Development Director Laura Antoon said. “We have several deals that are going on. Some of our local tenants are doing buy-one-get-one 50% off and your backpacks for school are 20% off. You’ve got lots of options. There’s a lot of really fantastic deals.”
With some schools across the state starting the 2024-25 school year as soon as the first week of August, the sales tax holiday will give parents a chance to save big on supplies for their students. Antoon added that the extra day and extended hours will give families flexibility to patronize stores for cheaper all weekend.
“Extending it [another day] will be great for our families,” Antoon explained. “Or maybe our guests who don’t want to come out on a Saturday. They’ll have plenty of time to stretch that dollar with quality, name-brand items that would typically cost you a little more money.”
A full list of items that will be sold free of the sales tax during the holiday can be found here.