July 27th, 2012 
(Photo Credit: MamasOnADime.com)
It’s about that time again! Black Friday’s little brother is right around the corner; will you be ready when he strikes? Tax free weekend in Tennessee will be held from Friday August 3, 2012 starting at 12:01am until Sunday, August 5, 2012 at 11:59pm. Here are some tips and tricks to make sure your Nashville tax free weekend is stress free!
1. Know what is tax free and what is taxable
beforehand
- Clothing items and school supplies costing $100 dollars or less
are tax free
- Electronics that are $1,500 dollars and less are
tax free
For a detailed list of tax free items for each of these categories visit the Tennessee Sales Tax Holiday website.
2. Create a budget for the essential items
- Visit the webpage of the stores that provide the items you need and plan a shopping list for each store (big hits each year are Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy)
- Add up the total price of all of your items, setting a budget to stick to amidst the shopping craziness
- Leave some room in your spending budget for items that are not a necessity, but may be on sale on-site
3. Create a weekend shopping itinerary
- Start with the most important stores on August 3, and set a schedule that includes travel time from one store to the next. Remember to allot more time than usual as traffic is sure to be heavy
- List out the stores that carry your needed items, nothing what time each store opens (Remember: Wal-Mart is open 24 hours)
- Check to see if the store offers extended hours because of the tax free holiday as the earlier you can hit the shelves, the better.
4. Prepare the night before
- Make sure your vehicle has plenty of gas (you won’t have to stop shopping to fill up!)
- If you choose to bring your children to shop for school supplies, carry some snacks from home or a portable game system so they will not get cranky while standing in long lines and waiting in traffic
- Clear out your trunk (you will need lots of space to fit all those bags!) and don’t forget to bring your own reusable shopping bags
5. After the weekend is up
Tennessee's 2012 Sales Tax Holiday Official Logo (Photo Credit: TnTaxHoliday.com)
- Collect all of your receipts and keep them in a folder or envelope (if something breaks or tears, you know exactly where your receipt of purchase is located)
- Note return policies for each of the stores just in case you have to make a return later
- Organize all your goods, and pat yourself on the back– you saved more than 10% off by taking advantage of Tennessee’s Sales Tax Holiday!
Questions? Email Salestax.Holiday@tn.gov for more information.
