By By Lisa Tindell – news reporter
Brewton area residents will be able to save 7 percent on the final costs of school supplies this weekend as merchants observe a statewide tax holiday weekend.
City sales taxes amounting to 3 percent will be suspended in Brewton and East Brewton on qualified purchases beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday. State sales taxes of 4 percent will also be suspended during the period, which will end at midnight Saturday.
Brewton and East Brewton will suspend their 3-cent sales taxes. The only sales tax that will be applied to all sales, including qualified school supply purchases, will be the 1 percent county tax.
State officials put a sales tax holiday in effect in 2006 and pledged to continue the efforts in 2007 in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama and the Alabama Retail Association.
Any business that sells clothing, school supplies, books, or computers and computer equipment is included in the tax holiday program, according to officials with the Alabama Department of Revenue.
According to the ARA, merchants across the state indicated an increase in Alabama sales tax collections in August of 2006.
Items eligible for the sales tax break this weekend include, but is not limited to, clothes, shoes, computers and related equipment and software, books, jackets and typical school supply needs.