Bill Extending Back to School Sales Tax Holiday Heads to Senate

A measure to extend Oklahoma's Back to School sales tax holiday to include more items passed its first hurdle this week. Senate Bill 1149, by State Sen. Don Barrington, adds school supplies, school art supplies and school instructional materials used by students to the list of items already exempt from sales tax during the first weekend in August. Barrington also authored SB 861 that created the sales tax holiday.

"Last year's sales tax holiday was a great success and Oklahomans saved millions of dollars, but we can do even more for Oklahoma families," said Barrington, R-Lawton. "Every year, parents spend hundreds, and sometimes even thousands, of dollars on school supplies including the basics like paper and pencils, but also on items such as computers and school computer supplies. By making these items tax free, we'll be helping their hard-earned money go even further."

Currently, clothing and footwear valued up to $100 are tax-free during the first weekend in August. Barrington’s bill would expand the list of tax-free items to include school supplies such as pencils, paper, crayons, notebooks, calculators, instructional materials and computers that cost under $100 as well.

The Tax Commission estimates that taxpayers could save up to $18 million in fiscal year 2010 under this bill. If approved and signed into law, the measure would go into effect July 1, 2009.