By Melissa Dunson
mdunson@joplinglobe.com
Families struggling with higher prices for food, fuel and energy could get a break this weekend.
Missouri’s annual sales-tax holiday starts today and goes through midnight Sunday. It exempts state sales taxes (4.225 percent) on some clothing, school supplies and computer equipment.
Cities and counties can opt out, and many Southwest Missouri municipalities do so. Joplin, Carthage, Carl Junction, Cassville, Aurora and Neosho will continue to charge their local sales taxes. In addition, three area counties — Jasper, Newton and Barry — will not participate and will still collect the county portion of the sales tax. They are among 170 cities, 52 counties and eight taxing districts that have opted out of the sales-tax holiday.
Webb City and Lamar are among the cities that will participate.
The tax exemption is limited to clothing under $100 an article, school supplies not to exceed $50 per purchase, computer software of $350 or less, personal computers of $3,500 or less, and other computer devices of $3,500 or less.
Clothing includes any wearing apparel, including footwear, but does not apply to watches, jewelry and handbags, for example. School supplies include any item normally used by a student in a standard classroom, such as textbooks, paper, pens or pencils, art supplies, backpacks, calculators, and globes. Personal computers can include laptops or desktop systems.
“We agree with the state that those are things that should be excluded from the sales tax,” said Steve Garrett, city administrator for Webb City. The city has a 2.5 percent sales tax.
Asked what the sales-tax waiver costs the city, Garrett said: “We looked at that last year. ... What it cost might be in the neighborhood of $20,000, or something like that.”
On the Net
A detailed explanation of tax-exempt items, and a list of the cities and counties not participating are available via the Missouri Department of Revenue’s Web site at dor.mo.gov/tax/business/sales/taxholiday/.
Business
Sales-tax holiday on school items begins today
- Business
-
-
A rare gain for the Dow on hopes for China growth
The stock market is desperately looking for good news.
-
Home prices’ decline slows, according to index
An index of home prices in 20 American cities slumped in March compared to a year earlier, but the slide was the slowest since December 2010.
-
Consumer confidence down in May, survey finds
Reading the attitudes of American consumers is getting to be as complicated as divining the preferences of American voters.
-
Firm pays $1M for spills in Iowa, Neb., Kan.
The Texas-based pipeline company paying a fine of more than $1 million says it is glad to resolve concerns about three spills in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.
-
Direct yen-yuan trading poised to begin
Japan and China will start direct trading between the yen and the yuan on the inter-bank foreign exchange markets in Tokyo and Shanghai on Friday, Japanese Finance Minister Jun Azumi said Tuesday.
-
Chesapeake shares rise as board faces pressure
Chesapeake Energy shares climbed Tuesday as some prominent shareholders called for a shake-up in the natural gas giant’s board of directors.
-
Young workers especially wary about stocks in 401ks, IRAs
The stock market has recently been back on a roller coaster — again — with the S&P 500 losing almost 4 percent in the past month. That has made many workers worried about their 401ks, IRAs and other retirement accounts.
-
Care provider ’without walls’ aims to keep seniors in homes
No one knows what tomorrow holds. But if biology is destiny, or even a major piece of it, Michael and Linda Dzuba had good reason to ponder a long future as they neared their 60th birthdays. And perhaps reason to worry just a bit.
-
More workers stand up for their health
When Citrix Systems redesigned its Fort Lauderdale, Fla., offices last fall, managers had a mission in mind: Kick-start creativity by getting employees to talk more and sit less.
-
Balancing Act: Closing the deal isn’t always easy
Michelle Wolfe of Halo Branded Solutions has good business relationships and can easily set up a meeting with South Florida hotel executives or attorneys to talk about her 300,000 promotional products.
- More Business Headlines
-
California's Foie Gras Ban About to Begin
6-Year-Old Going to National Spelling Bee
Video Essay: Funky Winkerbean Comic Turns 40
On Thailand Trip, Suu Kyi Visits Migrants
Raw Video: Pink Diamond Auctioned for $17.4M
Hurricane Andrew Remembered, 20 Years Later
Sister Says She Reported Brother in Patz Killing
Patz Suspect's Sister: I Went to Police in 1980s
Diplomatic Expulsions Follow Fresh Syria Report
15 Dead in Northern Italy's 5.8-magnitude Quake
Angry Birds Spreading Their Wings
Witness Describes Fla. Face-chewing Attack
Man Falls Off Crane, Dies After Police Standoff
Russia Condemns Ally Syria Over Massacre of 108
Dairy Farm Uses Chiropractor to Help Cows
Unexpected Smog in Pristine National Parks
Air Canada Plane Makes Emergency Landing
New Ticks Spread Across Southeast, Diseases Rise
Bring Your Own Tech Programs Charge Up Students
Pope's Butler Vows to Help Vatican Investigation
