You have until midnight to save with Ohio sales tax holiday on school supplies

Families looking to save additional money when stocking up on back-to-school supplies and clothes can do so starting Friday, the kickoff day of Ohio’s Sales Tax Holiday.

School supplies and books that cost $20 or less per item are tax free from 12 a.m. Friday until Sunday at 11:59 p.m. as part of the holiday, as is clothing at $75 or less per item.

Qualified items sold by mail, telephone, e-mail or Internet qualify if the consumer orders and pays for the item and the retailer accepts the order during the exemption period for immediate shipment, even if delivery is made after the exemption period.

View the full list of items on the Ohio Department of Taxation website here.

A national survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics found families with children in elementary school through high school plan to spend an average of $890 on school items, a new high, up from $864 in 2022. Total back-to-school spending is expected to reach a record $41.5 billion, up from $36.9 billion last year and an all-time high in the survey’s 20-year history.

The survey also found college students and their families plan to spend an average of $1,300, which was up. Total back-to-college spending is expected to reach a record $94 billion, up from $73.9 billion in 2022.

Back-to-class shopping is one of the most important consumer shopping occasions of the year, according to NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay

“Our research for 2023 shows American consumers are eager to jumpstart their back-to-school and college purchases early,” Shay said in a release. “Retailers have been preparing for months to ensure they are well stocked with essential items that families and students need for the school year.”

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