Those who want to save money on clothes and back-to-school supplies will have the chance Friday through Sunday, Aug. 1-3, when the state holds its annual sales tax holiday and doesn’t collect its 4.225 percent sales tax on clothing and other school-related purchases.
In addition, counties, cities and other local taxing entities have the option of participating in the sales tax holiday.
Jefferson County won’t charge its 1.625 percent sales tax either, and Arnold will forgo collecting its 1.25 cents in sales tax.
However, stores in the Arnold Retail Corridor still will charge a 1 percent tax. The corridor includes stores in the Arnold Commons, Arnold Crossroads and Water Tower developments; the tax collected at those stores helps pay for transportation improvements that were made near the developments.
Several local taxing districts also have agreed to participate in the holiday and not charge their sales taxes, including the Antonia, High Ridge and Rock Community fire protection districts, and the Big River, Joachim-Plattin, North Jefferson and Rock Township ambulance districts and Jefferson County 911 Dispatch. All of those entities charge a 1/2-cent sales tax, except for Rock Township which charges a 1/4-cent sales tax
In addition, Kimmswick, Herculaneum and Hillsboro won’t collect their sales tax on back-to-school items during the holiday.
However, five of the county’s eight major municipalities – Byrnes Mill, Crystal City, De Soto, Festus and Pevely – will not participate, so they still will collect their sales taxes.
Also, the city of Fenton in St. Louis County, where the Gravois Bluffs shopping center is located, will collect its sales tax.
Back-to-school items that are exempt from the sales tax include any article of clothing or pair of shoes that costs $100 or less, $50 worth of school supplies, personal computers that cost no more than $3,500, other computer equipment not exceeding $3,500, and computer software that costs $350 or less.