Virginia Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, May 25-31

Get ready to save money!

Posted May 4, 2010
Virginia Department of Emergency Management

04/26/2010 - RICHMOND, Va. — Plan to go shopping the last week of May, and you will save money on items you can use. Put it on your calendar: Virginia’s Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday is May 25-31. During that week, you can stock up on supplies for protecting your home and business during hurricane and flooding season. You also can add items to your family’s emergency supply kit.

Many everyday items are exempt. Shop for items on this list that have a price of $60 or less:

• Artificial ice, blue ice, ice packs, reusable ice
• Batteries, excluding car or boat batteries
• Battery-powered light sources, including flashlights and lanterns
• First aid kits
• Cell phone chargers
• Weather Band radios and NOAA Weather Radios
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radios, including radio with electrical power option
• Bottled water of any size, including flavored, carbonated and vitamin water
• Two-way radios
• Manual can openers
• Tarps, plastic sheeting, plastic drop cloths
• Bungee cords and rope
• Ground anchor systems or tie down kits
• Ratchet straps
• Duct tape
• Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, fire extinguishers
• Empty gas, propane or diesel fuel tanks or containers
• Water storage containers such as buckets, barrels, canteens, coolers
• Storm shutter devices made for the prevention of storm damage (not plywood)

Shop for items on this list that have a sales price of $1,000 or less:

• Portable generators and generator power cords
• Inverters and inverter power cables.

Participating retail outlets will have information about the upcoming Virginia tax holiday. For more information, go to www.tax.virginia.gov/salestaxholiday. For information about getting ready for hurricane and flooding season in Virginia, visit www.ReadyVirginia.gov.