Sikeston will be ‘totally tax-free’ during Aug. 3-5 sales tax holiday

SIKESTON — It’s time for shoppers to plan ahead for the annual Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday weekend, which will be completely tax-free in Sikeston.

Missouri’s Tax-Free Weekend will start at 12:01a.m. Aug. 3 and run through Aug. 5. Back-to-school items such as clothing, school supplies, computers and other items defined by the Missouri statute are exempt from state and county sales tax.

The city of Sikeston has once again elected to join efforts with the state and not require city taxes during this period for these qualifying purchases.

According to the Missouri Department of Revenue’s website, while state sales tax will be waived on all purchases falling within set categories, county and cities choose whether they will participate.

Locally, Scott, Mississippi and New Madrid counties will participate in the holiday, meaning sales tax in these locations will not be collected. A list provided by the state of Missouri indicates that cities in those counties, with the exception of New Madrid city, will also participate in the holiday.

Stoddard County has opted out of the tax-free holiday, but its cities, Dexter, Bernie and Advance, are participating in the event.

Other cities electing not to participate include Cape Girardeau, Bloomfield and Poplar Bluff. However, the state portion of the sales tax is still exempted in those areas.

“We call it a totally tax-free weekend,” said Kyla Evans, marketing director for Sikeston Outlet Stores. There will be no city, county or state sales tax collected (at the outlet stores) that weekend, which which can be considerable savings when you one or two — or more kids.”

The outlet stores will have some very good sales on top of being tax-free during the holiday weekend, she said, adding VF Outlet, Rue 21, Famous Footwear and Carter’s are the stores often targeted by back-to-school shoppers.

“This is our Christmas,” Evans said. “Honestly, especially those four specific stores, it’s our busiest time of the year for us when families come in, stock up and get ready for the new school year with shoes, backpacks and apparel for the entire family.”

Items included in the sales tax-free weekend are clothing not valued over $100, and the state defines clothing as any article of wearing apparel, including footwear, which is worn on or about the body. It also includes material to make school uniforms or other school clothing. Accessories, such as watches, jewelry, scarves, ties, handbags and umbrellas are not included.

School supplies, not exceeding $50 per purchase, that are used in a standard classroom for educational purposes, and personal computers — a laptop, desktop or tower computer system — that don’t cost more than $1,500 will be sales tax-free in participating cities and towns. Computer peripheral devices that don’t exceed $1,500, computer software less than $350 and graphing calculators less than $150 are also considered a school supply and are free from taxes.

Lynn Lancaster, executive director of Historic Downtown Sikeston, said back-to-school shoppers may also find items they’re looking for at some of the downtown merchants such as apparel retailers Men of Falkoff’s and Ladies or Leigh Anne’s Loft, or Family Dollar, which sells school supplies.

To ensure they receive the best possible discount during the tax-free weekend, shoppers should check with their local retailers for promotions Aug. 3-5

For more information or to see the complete list of qualifying items, visit the Department of Revenue’s website: https://dor.mo.gov/business/sales/taxholiday/school/consumers.phpClothing and office supplies