Pennies will pinch themselves if you shop Va. stores for school and hurricane supplies Aug. 2-4

The upcoming 2019 Virginia Sales Tax Holiday, begins on Friday, Aug. 2, at 12:01 a.m. and ends on Sunday, Aug. 4,  at 11:59 p.m., according to a news release from Gov. Ralph Northam.

The annual three-day sales tax holiday aims to help families save money on back-to-school purchases and encourage Virginia residents 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,” Northam was quoted as saying in a news release Monday.. “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 you can buy without paying sales tax:

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.