By Cathy Spaulding
Phoenix Staff Writer
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Muskogee attorney Robin McGrew recalled how pleasantly surprised she was when she shopped during a Sales Tax Holiday a couple of years ago.
“I had read about it, then forgot about it, then I remembered and lucked into it,” McGrew said, recalling that she saved “somewhere around 35 percent” on her daughters’ preschool clothes.
Parents and back-to-school shoppers might not save that much during this year’s Oklahoma Sales Tax Holiday, which begins Friday afternoon. Muskogee shoppers could save at least 9.15 percent on most of their clothes and footwear purchases during that time.
During the Sales Tax Holiday weekend, articles of clothing or footwear that are “worn on or about the body” and cost less than $100 are exempt from sales tax. In Muskogee, people pay 9.15 cents sales tax for every dollar they spend. Of that, 4 cents goes to the City of Muskogee. The Oklahoma Legislature passed a bill in 2007 providing for the tax-exempt shopping in an effort to help boost businesses and save money for consumers.
Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Sue Harris said she hopes to see an increase in local sales during that weekend.
“We’re for anything that will help local businesses, but we also don’t want to see our cities with no revenue,” she said. “The best thing would be for people to make a decision to shop locally.”
Area retailers are planning on extra help, extra hours and extra merchandise for the weekend.
“We’re extending our store hours every which direction,” said Brandace Moore, manager of JCPenney at Arrowhead Mall. “Tax-free weekend is kind of a Super Bowl Sunday for us.”
She said shoppers not only buy tax-exempt items they also shop for items such as accessories, which are not tax-exempt.
“It’s almost just as busy as the day after Thanksgiving,” Moore said.
Debbie Ash, manager of Rue 21 clothing store at River City Plaza said she expects to be “extremely busy.”
“We’ve been handing out coupons for the last two or three weeks.”
She recalled tax-free weekends at when she worked at a Tulsa store.
“We’d sell $40,000 a day, when a typical Friday we’d do $5,000 or $6,000,” she said. “It’s extremely crazy busy.”
McGrew, whose daughters start first grade at Pershing Elementary School said she plans to “hit the mall and hit Walmart and Kmart.”
She recalled saving money two years ago because the stores she shopped had coats on sale.
“I bought school coats, I bought jackets and saved quite a bit of money,” she said.
Winona Scott, who has a 7-year-old son at Ben Franklin Science Academy, said she might do some shopping during the holiday, but likely will wait for another holiday.
“We tend to do our shopping on Labor Day,” she said. “My mother-in-law knows about a lot of sales, so it’s cheaper for me to go on Labor Day.”
She said she does a lot of her Labor Day shopping in Tulsa because of sales and because she has family in Sand Springs.
Muskogee City Manager Greg Buckley said it is hard to determine how the tax-free weekend affects city revenue.
“The state is supposed to make up revenue for the lost weekend,” he said.
However, the state would not make up the revenue if sales tax receipts do not show a loss. He said the city did not get reimbursed last year.
Benny Vanatta, Oklahoma state director of the National Federation of Independent Business said the holiday will help small businesses.
“Sales tax holidays are great for families trying to stretch a dollar, but they’re also great for small businesses,” Vanatta said in a media release. “They get people excited and in the mood to shop, and that’s exactly what our economy needs right now.
Reach Cathy Spaulding at 684-2928 or cspaulding @muskogeephoenix.com.
About the
Sales Tax Holiday
• From 12 a.m. Friday to 12 midnight Aug. 8.
• During the holiday, articles of clothing or footwear less than $100 are exempt from sales tax. This doesn’t apply to articles primarily designed for athletic activity or protective use or to clothing/footwear rental.
• Items not exempt include accessories such jewelry, handbags, luggage, watches, wallets.
• Information: www.tax.ok.gov/stholiday.html
