Mississippi tax-free weekend: When is it? What is eligible and what is not? We have answers

Tax-free weekend in Mississippi will begin at 12:01 a.m. on this Friday and run through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 14.

The sales-tax holiday applies to each eligible item selling for less than $100, according to The Mississippi Department of Revenue.

Tax-free designation will also apply statewide to certain consumer purchases, but the Mississippi Department of Revenue laid out some guidelines for eligible and ineligible items to help assist with additional items that can and can't be purchased.

Below is a list of eligible and non-eligible items for clothing, footwear, accessories along with frequently asked questions.

Can I use discounts, coupons, and rebates?

• According to the Mississippi Department of Revenue, "retailers may offer store discounts and store coupons to reduce the price of an eligible item to or less than $100 in order to qualify for the holiday. However, manufacturers’ coupons do not reduce the sales price of an item; as a result, a manufacturer’s coupon cannot be used to reduce the selling price of an item to less than $100.00 in order to qualify for the holiday."

What clothes are eligible?

• Most clothing items from jackets to jeans to footwear under $100 is eligible. Even things such as underwear, football jerseys, tennis skirts and bowling shirts are eligible.

What purchases are ineligible?

• "Accessories such as jewelry, handbags, luggage, umbrellas, school supplies, briefcases and similar items do not qualify for the tax-free weekend," the Mississippi Department of Revenue states.
• Many sports items are not eligible as well, ranging from swim gear to baseball and sports helmets. You cannot purchase graduation caps and gowns, either. Those, too, are not eligible.

Does this apply to mail, telephone, and internet sales?

• According to the Mississippi Department of Revenue, "sales of eligible items that were placed or ordered by mail, telephone, or the internet are not subject to sales tax if the purchaser orders and pays for the items during the sales-tax holiday and the items are less than the $100 threshold."

How does this affect combined purchases?

• A customer can purchase multiple items under $100 without paying sales tax even if the combined purchase total is well more than $100. But if an individual item costs more than $100, you will pay sales tax on that singular item for its full value.

What school supplies can I purchase?

• All school supplies are eligible in this category, from paper, pens, paints, binders and more. Book bags are also eligible.

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Are there rain checks?

• According to the Mississippi Department of Revenue, "eligible items purchased during the sales tax holiday using a rain check qualify for the holiday only if the rain check is redeemed during the sales tax holiday. If it is redeemed after the holiday, the purchase is subject to sales tax."

Refunds and exchanges

According to the Mississippi Department of Revenue:

• If an eligible item was purchased during the sales-tax holiday and returned after the holiday for credit on the purchase of a different item, sales tax is applied to the sale of the newly purchased item.
• If an eligible item was purchased during the sales-tax holiday and later exchanged for the same item but it’s a different size, different color, etc., then sales tax is not to be charged even if the exchange is made after the holiday.
• If eligible items were purchased before the sales-tax holiday but during the holiday the item was returned and a credit was received on the purchase of a different eligible item, then no sales tax is due on the sale of the new item if the new item is eligible for the holiday.

See the complete list on Mississippi Department of Revenue website.

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Know an event coming up or have a good story idea? Reporter Kiara Fleming can be reached via email KDFleming@jackson.gannett.com and on X @Ki_dajournalist