Stock up on supplies during Ohio’s Tax Free Weekend

| July 31, 2018

This weekend is sure to be a busy one for local retailers.  Friday August 3rd through Sunday August 5th is the State of Ohio’s annual Sales Tax Holiday.  This is a great time to stock up on supplies for your child care program, so here are a few tips on how to make the most of the tax free weekend:

  • Know what items are included.  Only certain items qualify for the Sales Tax Holiday, these include;
    • Clothing priced at $75 or less per item
    • School supplies priced at $20 or less per items
    • School instructional materials priced at $20 or less per item
    • To see a comprehensive list, review the Ohio Department of Taxation’s Sales Tax Holiday FAQs.
  • Make a list of materials and supplies that your program uses regularly and share this list with parents.  They may be willing to pick up a couple of extra boxes of markers or bottles of glue for your program while they are doing their own shopping.
  • Know where the sales are. Do your research so that you are familiar with which stores have the best prices on the items that you need.
  • Collect coupons. You can redeem coupons on items that are exempt from sales tax, so having your coupons ready will save you even more
  • Order online.  Qualifying orders that are paid for during the sales tax holiday will receive the exemption.  You can even start filling your cart now, just don’t check out until August 3rd!

You’ll certainly want to stock up on traditional school supplies – markers, crayons, pencils, glue and scissors are all exempt.  So are folders, notebooks and binders, along with pencil boxes, tape and notebook paper.  Some other purchases that you might consider include; diapers, hats and gloves for this winter, and Halloween costumes for your dramatic play centers.

Make sure to think about office and instructional needs as well.  Manila file folders, copy paper and construction paper are exempt, so are all reference books. Take advantage of this great opportunity to save a little money while stocking up on supplies that your program will use all year long!