Mississippi is kicking off its annual sales tax holiday. State officials say they don't expect to benefit from the tax break, but as MPB's Ashley Norwood reports, they hope it's a perk for retailers and customers.
Kanika Williams is the supervisor at Ross Dress For Less in Flowood. She is going down a checklist of what she believes will make shopping easier for Mississippians this tax-free weekend.
"We want to make sure the floor is just nice and neat so it could be an easy shopping environment. We want to make sure we have enough cashiers on schedule. We also want to make sure that we have enough people on the floor to help them and guide them around the store," said Williams.
Mississippi's annual sales tax holiday is all day Friday and all day Saturday. Katie Lawson is with the Department of Revenue. She says the break from state sales tax is designed to help families stock up on needed items as the new school year approaches. She says it's also a plus for retailers.
"It doesn't necessarily benefit us in tax revenue, but that's okay because it's a good thing for retailers and small businesses and those are part of Mississippi as well and it helps to continue the success of the small businesses in our state," said Lawson.
Lawson is reminding consumers which items will not be included in the tax break this weekend.
"This is for clothing. It is not for accessories, sporting equipment, or even school supplies. this also applies to items that are less than $100 dollars. So if you're purchasing a pair of pants or a shirt or anything like that, that is less than $100 dollars you would receive that," said Lawson.
More information is available on the Mississippi Department of Revenue website. Ashley Norwood, MPB News.
