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CHARLOTTE COURT HOUSE — It’s that time of year again. As we get ready for schools to reopen, parents catch a break the next few days on some expenses thanks to Virginia’s tax-free weekend. But not every purchase you make this weekend is free of the state sales tax. As for what does (or doesn’t) qualify, let’s take a look. 

How long does the tax-free weekend last? 

Yes, state officials say that’s one of the first questions they get asked each year. The tax-free weekend started Friday, Aug. 5 at 12:01 a.m. It’ll last through Sunday, Aug. 7 at 11:59 p.m. Now to be clear, this doesn’t just involve in-person shopping. If you shop at a Virginia store online or call in an order through the phone, the tax-free part still applies. If anyone still sends orders by mail, that qualifies as well, as long as you postmark it by Sunday night. 

What can I buy? 

Here’s where it gets specific. We all think of school supplies, clothes and appliances when tax-free weekend comes around. But not everything makes the cut. The Gazette reached out to state tax officials and got a breakdown of what can be bought tax-free in Virginia over the next few days. 

Now before rolling out the list, we do have to go over a couple rules. First, while some older computer storage equipment is allowed, you can’t actually buy a computer or laptop tax-free this weekend. 

There’s one more rule when it comes to the school supplies mentioned below. If any of the individual items are priced above $20, you’ll have to pay tax on it. It’s just those school supplies $20 and under that go tax-free this time. 

Eligible school supplies

This is the only section that has a list of what is (and isn’t) eligible, as the state assembly was very specific about what’s allowed. 

• Binder pockets
• Binders
• Blackboard chalk
• Book bags, messenger bags, and totes
• Calculators
• Cellophane tape
• Clay and glazes
• Compasses
• Composition books
• Computer storage media; diskettes; recordable compact discs & flash drives
• Crayons
• Dictionaries and thesauruses
• Disinfectant wipes
• Dividers
• Erasers (including dry erase marker erasers and dry erase marker cleaning solution)
• Folders (expandable, pocket, plastic, and manila)
• Glue, paste, and paste sticks
• Hand sanitizer soap
• Highlighters
• Index card boxes
• Index cards
• Legal pads
• Lunch boxes and lunch bags (including disposable lunch bags)
• Markers (including dry erase markers and dry erase marker kits)
• Musical instruments, musical instrument accessories, and replacement items for musical instruments 
• Notebooks 
• Paintbrushes for artwork 
• Paints (acrylic, tempera, and oil) 
• Paper (loose leaf ruled notebook paper, copy and printer paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper, poster board, and construction paper) 
• Pencil boxes and other school supply boxes 
• Pencil sharpeners 
• Pencils 
• Pens 
• Protractors 
• Reference books 
• Reference maps and globes 
• Rulers 
• Scissors 
• Sheet music 
• Sketch and drawing pads 
• Textbooks 
• Tissues 
• Watercolors 
• Workbooks 
• Writing tablets

What about clothes and shoes? 

Yes, clothes fall under the tax-free weekend rules this year. The same goes for footwear. There’s just one catch. Each individual piece of clothes or set of shoes must be $100 or less to qualify. If it’s over $100, then you’ll have to pay state sales tax. 

Are appliances included for tax-free weekend? 

Yes, you can buy some appliances like refrigerators and freezers, depending on the brand. Only Energy Star and WaterSense products that cost $2,500 or less qualify. That includes: 

• Air Conditioners 
• Ceiling Fans 
• Dehumidifiers 
• Washing Machines/Clothes Washers 
• Dishwashers 
• Light Bulbs 
• Refrigerators 
• Bath Sink Faucets
• Faucet Accessories
• Showerheads
• Toilets
• Urinals
• Landscape Irrigation Controllers

What are the rules for emergency products?

The final items on the list are emergency products. That includes: 

• Portable generators – $1,000 or less per item
• Gas-powered chainsaws – $350 or less per item
• Chainsaw accessories – $60 or less per item
• Other hurricane preparedness items – $60 or less per item