This weekend will be the perfect time to purchase a new appliance, stock up on essentials or knock some Christmas gifts off the list, as Nov. 20 and 21 have been designated as a sales tax holiday.
Louisiana shoppers will see state sales taxes suspended state-wide Friday and Saturday, and St. Charles Parish shoppers will see local sales taxes suspended as well.
The two-day event is a result of state and local approval. During the 2020 Second Extraordinary Session of the Louisiana Legislature, HB 26 was passed by the legislature and signed as ACT 16 by Gov. John Bel Edwards to provide for a state sales tax holiday.
The St. Charles Parish School Board voted to expand the sales tax holiday to include local sales tax, which will allow local shoppers to save additional money on purchases in St. Charles Parish. The board’s approval came during its Nov. 4 meeting.
“People usually shop local when we participate in the sales tax holiday,” Parish Sales Tax Director Paula Jeansonne said. “Our school board members believe this is good for our local businesses.”
The sales tax holiday will waive the state’s 4.45% sales tax and the parish’s (government and school board) 5% sales tax collected. Sales tax will not be charged on the first $2,500 of a purchase, and non-qualifying purchases include vehicles and meals.
Officials said the holiday is also aimed at helping businesses and residents across the state and in St. Charles Parish recover from Hurricane Laura and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jeansonne said there is no penalty for local businesses who many choose to not participate in the holiday, and that there are ways consumers can be reimbursed if a local business does charge taxes.
“We understand that it is difficult and maybe too costly for a business to adjust their registers, so we will provide a refund for the local sales taxes to anyone who requests,” she said. “They can come into the school board office or email us at salestax@stcharles.k12.la.us.”
For a complete list of special provisions and exemptions for the sales tax holiday, visit www.scpsalestax.com.
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