Did I Hear You Say Tax Free?

Yep you heard me correctly this weekend is one of those blessed events each and every local South Cakalakian await: TAX FREE DAY. Now if you are like me, a oblivious Northern the concept eludes you and quite seriously when I first heard about it, I thought it was a joke! Those crazy Southerners taking advantage of my naiveté and Yankee gullibility (Though let me digress for a moment perhaps it isn’t directly correlated to my Yankee heritage but my own delicate sensibilities allowing me to believe just about anything I’m told. Yeah I’m here to admit I was duped by the whole “jackalope” in 1999—which for those of you as trusting as I, is unique in concept but completely a farce just to save you the many hours I spent scouring the prairie skyline for antlered jack rabbits) No Tax Day is no jackalope, rather it is a day, nay a weekend of blessed savings where the fine states of North and South Carolina give parents a break on some school shopping. 

 

Okay so here’s the deal, here’s the rules, here’s the catch: only certain items qualify. Because honestly people the governments not exactly generous and definitely not too generous. But fair enough, the list is rather long and extensive and definitely doesn’t just apply to those supplies for children. For an extensive and humorous list at the “exempt” and “nonexempt” items check here! If you notice everything from adult diapers to hair nets is included though “rental shoes” are still taxed. This is indeed a travesty but even a lucky August 3-5 tax free weekend could not free my rental shoes from their taxed tyranny. (Um, yeah for those of you not adroit in the language of sarcasm I will overtly query…what are rental shoes? My mind conjures bowling shoes, but I really am unsure if I am taxed for those already. Pray tell)

 

Indeed the tax free fantasy is no myth and this weekend the shopper in each and every one of you can prepare to brave the crowds and save a whole 8 dollars per 100 spent. Yes, sadly as excited as one can get about something as colossal to be labeled “TAX FREE” you are only commandeering the 8% the government imposes upon our purchases. However, this being said doesn’t it feel much better knowing for one weekend of the year you are totally ganking it from the government? Oh sweet justice!