Changes by Connecticut lawmakers mean that back-to-school season may be a little less expensive for parents and teachers this year.
Sales tax-free week, which takes place August 16 through 22, has been expanded to include clothing and footwear costing up to $300 (from the previous limit of $100). This makes next week the perfect time to stock up on back-to-school wardrobe essentials for children and teachers alike. Backpacks and cleated shoes are now included as eligible purchases during sales tax-free week.
Additionally, as of July 1, “nonelectronic school supplies” are no longer subject to Connecticut sales tax. That means that anyone purchasing the supplies listed below for their personal or classroom use will face lower costs (businesses still must pay tax on these items).
With the cost of school supplies and clothing adding up quickly, these changes offer some welcome savings as Connecticut families and educators prepare for the new school year. School supplies no longer subject to Connecticut sales tax are as follows.
- Binders
- Cellophane tape
- Blackboard chalk
- Compasses
- Composition books
- Crayons
- Erasers
- Folders (expandable, pocket, plastic, and manila)
- Glue, paste, and paste sticks
- Highlighters
- Index cards
- Index card boxes
- Legal pads
- Lunch boxes
- Markers
- Notebooks
- Paper (loose leaf ruled notebook paper, copy paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper, poster board, and construction paper)
- Pencil boxes and other school supply boxes
- Pencil sharpeners
- Pencils
- Pens
- Protractors
- Rulers
- Scissors
