Stock up on storm supplies tax-free in Alabama this weekend
Many items for your emergency preparedness kit can be purchased with no sales tax in much of Alabama this weekend. (Getty Images)
As Alabama wraps up Severe Weather Preparedness Week, families can stock up on emergency supplies tax-free during the annual sales tax holiday.
This is the 11th year for the three-day tax holiday, which starts Friday, Feb. 25, and ends at midnight Sunday, Feb. 27.
“Severe weather can occur at any time, in any season,” said Rick Brown of the Alabama Retail Association. “The tax holiday helps Alabama consumers remember to stock and prepare emergency kits to be ready when storms strike.”
Through the weekend, certain emergency preparedness items will be exempt from the 4% state sales tax and, in some cities and counties, local sales taxes are waived. That means shoppers can save as much as 10% in some areas of the state.
Among the tax-exempt items:
- Flashlights and lanterns.
- Battery-powered or hand-cranked radios.
- Batteries.
- First-aid kits.
- Cellphone chargers.
- Two-way radios.
- Manual can openers.
- Tarps and plastic sheeting.
- Duct tape.
- Extension cords.
- Fire extinguishers.
- Tie-down kits, bungee cords or rope.
Other items on the tax-free list include coolers, ice packs, plywood, window film and smoke/fire/carbon monoxide detectors. Some restrictions apply.
If a portable generator is on your emergency preparedness wish list, this weekend is a particularly good time to shop, with generators under $1,000 eligible for the tax exemption.
Click here for the full list of tax-exempt items. Click here for the full list of participating cities and counties.
Alabama is one of only two states with a severe weather preparedness sales tax holiday in 2022, according to the Retail Association. The other state is Texas.
Earlier this month, Alabama experienced a deadly EF-2 tornado that tracked through Greene and Hale counties, plus the state experienced snow in January.
Learn more about being prepared for storms, including items that should be included in your family storm kit, by visiting Alabama Power’s Storm Center. Alabama Power customers can sign up for Outage Alerts and view the company’s Outage Map at www.alabamapower.com.
