Oklahoma Lawmaker Seeks To Improve Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday

Xin Xin Liu, News9.com

Oklahoma City, OK – As the cost of school supplies increases, one Oklahoma lawmaker says he will seek changes in the sales tax holiday law to remove unnecessary items, and instead provide sales tax relief on school supplies.

Oklahoma's annual sales tax holiday is scheduled for August 5 through 7, Democratic Minority Leader Scott Inman says many of the items that will be exempt from sales tax should be replaced with school supplies such as pens, pencils and paper.

"We enacted this law in 2007 in order to help families save money on purchases just before the start of fall classes," says Inman. "But although this is touted as a back-to-school sales tax holiday, eligible items for tax-free status include costumes, girdles, formal wear and wedding apparel, but not backpacks, crayons or erasers. I think some changes need to be made in order to get back to the original spirit of the law."

Inman noted that making changes to the sales tax holiday to include school supplies is only one means of tipping the scales away from unjustified tax exemptions and back to average Oklahomans.

"Many Oklahomans live paycheck to paycheck these days, and exchanging items on the sales tax holiday list for those items that are actually essential for students, is one small way we can assist," Inman says.

Inman says he plans to file legislation in the coming session to improve and expand the list of items eligible for sales tax exemptions at the state, county and city level.

Oklahoma is one of 15 states that annually hold clothing sales tax holiday.