ServeAlabama.Gov

The sales tax holiday for 2012 will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 6.  The holiday will continue through midnight on Sunday, July 8.  By having the holiday in July of this year, retailers and municipalities were given time between the holiday’s legislative approval and the designated weekend to organize and prepare for participation.  Final preparations will continue between now and the start of the holiday on July 6.

“Being prepared is the first step to a quick response to a natural disaster,” Governor Bentley said.  “If people have the emergency supplies they need, that will go a long way toward helping them weather any storm.”

The annual sales tax holiday was a key recommendation of Governor Bentley’s Tornado Recovery Action Council.  The council was appointed by the Governor following the April 27, 2011, tornado outbreak.  Legislation that created the holiday was approved in April and signed by Governor Bentley.

As part of the holiday, items related to severe weather preparedness will be exempted from state sales and use taxes over a designated weekend.  A provision also allows counties and municipalities to join the state by removing their own local sales and use taxes from the same items during the same weekend.  More than 200 local governments across the state have decided to join.

“The number of municipalities participating in the first year is truly impressive,” Revenue Commissioner Julie Magee said.  “Many of these cities and counties participate every year during the sales tax holiday for back-to-school items and have decided to participate in this additional weekend to help Alabamians prepare for severe weather.”