Tax-free weekend begins Aug. 5

Beginning Friday, Aug. 5, at 12:01 a.m. and ending Sunday, Aug. 7, at midnight, participating cities in Alabama will hold their 11th annual tax-free holiday weekend. Certain school supplies, computers and clothing under $100 can be purchased free of state sales tax.

Some stores prepare to experience a rush similar to Black Friday. This isn’t necessary for Mountain Brook boutique Swoop. Manager Katherine Puckett stated this weekend is one of Swoop’s busiest times, but it’s never crazy. 

Puckett says the hardest aspect of the tax-free weekend is not the crowds, but the fact that not everything is exempt from the sales tax. 

Swoop sells toys in addition to clothes, so the toys do not qualify to be tax-free. 

The best part about the tax-free weekend, according to Puckett, is moving through the summer line of clothing to focus on back-to-school essentials. “I think [the weekend] is great because it gives people a chance to buy what they need for school,” Puckett said. She also added that one of Swoop’s goals for this year is to sell most of the remaining summer line, if not all of it.

Swoop is a toy and clothing boutique located in the heart of Mountain Brook Village. They sell items such as dresses, T-shirts and even a giant rubber duck for the pool. For more information about Swoop, visit facebook.com/wherefunbegins/. For more information about Alabama’s tax-free holiday and a list of exemptions, visit revenue.alabama.gov/salestax/salestaxhol.cfm.