Shoppers in Massachusetts get their annual chance this weekend to skip paying the 6.25 percent sales tax.
Gov. Patrick signed the legislation earlier this week to authorize the sales tax holiday for the fifth year in a row. The sales tax will not be levied on purchases of individual items up to $2,500 with some exceptions including motor vehicles and boats. On line sales are included in the tax holiday. Jon Hurst of the Massachusetts Retailers Association says stores are projecting total sales this weekend of $500 million.
"For some stores it can be as much as 10 percent of their annual sales attributable to the sales tax holiday."
Critics say the sales tax holiday costs the state up to $25 million in lost revenue and does not generate any new business.
