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    casenKristin Wong
    8/05/16 9:25am

    Meh. No tax holiday means no big purchases from me. I know they’re thinking about the state budget, but they need to consider the impact to local businesses as well. With the tax holiday, I’ll buy big ticket items. Without it, I just won’t buy. Not like I really need them. So local businesses lose out.

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      Danielcasen
      8/05/16 9:47am

      To be honest, it’s probably doubtful that many “extra” sales are made during tax holidays that wouldn’t be made anyway at a later time (or an earlier time! People put things off for tax holidays). You might actually be a person who will truly never buy these things now (I personally doubt it) but if you are, you’re in the minority.

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      Clem Fandangocasen
      8/05/16 10:15am

      You think that, and it may be true for you, but its highly unlikely that a significant number of tax holiday sales are only occurring because of the holiday. A 5% discount can often be had or beaten with patience and shopping around.

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    StarryNight17Kristin Wong
    8/05/16 10:56am

    I would actually question the wisdom of buying most things on tax holiday weekend period. In my experience, retailers tend to limit their discounts on the state tax holiday weekend. After all, if you know people will be coming in, you don’t need to have a 20% off sale to lure people in the door. So while you might save your 6% state sales tax, you end up paying more since the base price is higher.

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      Platypus ManStarryNight17
      8/05/16 11:59am

      Yeah, the one time I took advantage of it was when I was going to college a decade ago and bought my new laptop on tax-free weekend. It wasn’t likely to be discounted to that degree otherwise (unlike regular school supplies, etc) so it made sense. For everything else I just bought as normal.

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    pdoobsKristin Wong
    8/05/16 10:18am

    this report is seriously arguing that eliminating a regressive tax for a weekend unfairly benefits the wealthy? that’s some interesting mental gymnastics.

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      StevenGpdoobs
      8/05/16 12:09pm

      No, it argues that they can take most advantage.

      Which is clearly true. Since now they can avoid the regressive tax completely by buying everything at once. The less well to do lack the funds to do so.

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      SpoonmanWoSpdoobs
      8/05/16 3:41pm

      Well, in a way, yes...since the wealthy aren’t paying their fair share of taxes, the state doesn’t have enough money to cover health care costs, and that will now be covered by the poor people who relied on the tax-free weekends to get their kid’s school supplies.

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    Zook024Kristin Wong
    8/05/16 9:31am

    Here in good ol’ Connecticut I am sure we will be the next to cut it, surprised we weren't one of the first!

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      Clem FandangoZook024
      8/05/16 10:23am

      We spend 100M on public health, and 650M on prisons. Connecticut is broken. I hate that i live here.

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      falmoufClem Fandango
      8/05/16 8:08pm

      I’m in VA but I sympathize with you. It’s like that all over. The people deciding what to do with the money don’t seem to do so wisely.

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    mikagekunKristin Wong
    8/05/16 11:59am

    Retailers have poor handling of these tax holidays as well. I got burned by Dell TWICE over the last two years.

    I decided to order a PC last year. Dell uses rather trickily-worded messages about the tax free part, and actually won’t reflect it until AFTER you click “submit” to pay. Last year, I ended up just over the $1K limit on a PC, losing out on the tax free status. This year was even weirder. I learned my lesson last time, ordered a small form factor PC with just the right combination of parts to get it under a grand. Again, hit payment submission and BOOM, taxed again!

    I called Dell on Monday to figure out why. Turns out this time it was because the PC was only available under their “business” side, which anyone can order from, and being on that part of the site was deemed automatically to be for a commercial purpose, and thus did not qualify for the tax free treatment. I ended up being saved by an anti-fraud feature of my credit card. The high-dollar purchase without the chip being present triggered a fraud alert. Even after admitting it was a legitimate charge, my card required the payment be run again. This kept Dell from processing it long enough for me to maneuver through their terrible customer service lines and cancel the order. Tax free or not, Dell will not be getting another PC purchase out of me!

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    somedoucheKristin Wong
    8/05/16 11:07am

    States: We’re broke. Time to fuck the poor some more.

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    BaneOfAngelKristin Wong
    8/05/16 10:45am

    Yet another move that keeps teh tax burden on those that can least afford it. I grew up conservative but all thos conservative tenants have been twisted to the point that it is sheer insanity to keep doing things the way we are doing them.

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    theRealRealMikeyGKristin Wong
    8/05/16 10:49am

    Yeah those sound like good reasons but in many of those states, only certain items were eligible for the tax relief in the first place.

    And why the hell Do o need to worry about tax on school supplies, school clothes, shoes and similar when I can simply save time order them online for less money and without tax in the first place and habe them all delivered right to my door?

    That’s the real reason many states ate getting rid of it. It’s no longer needed for the items it was designed for.

    States that gave tax relief on non school items were stupid in the first place.

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    King_jaffe_jofferKristin Wong
    8/05/16 10:35am

    Sales tax is the primary regressive tax in America. Not surprising wherever it gets raised.

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