Video: Alabama Towns Prepare For Tax Free Holiday

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HAMILTON, ALA. (WCBI) – As temperatures warm up, an upcoming tax holiday will help Alabama residents be better prepared for dangerous weather that becomes more frequent in spring and summer.

This coming weekend, items associated with storm preparation can be purchased without any sales tax throughout Alabama. It’s part of the annual Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday and cities such as Hamilton are taking part.

In fact, the town of about 6,700 recently set aside seven days for “weather preparedness week.”

“We had a place in town that helped us do that, they programmed weather radios, programmed over 30 weather radios, our fire station currently does that now,” said Hamilton, Ala. Mayor Wade Williams.

For the severe weather preparedness sales tax holiday, items such as batteries, plastic tarp, duct tape, flashlights, plywood, and portable self powered radios will be tax free.

Most of the sales tax exempt items must cost $60 or less to qualify. The only exceptions are portable generators and power cords, which can cost up to $1,000.

Alabama’s 4 percent sales tax will be waived on qualified items throughout the state, including in cities, towns and counties that are not participating in the sales tax holiday.

This is the third year the state has held the weather preparedness tax free holiday and Mayor Williams says participation is up each year.

“It’s a perfect opportunity now to just make people prepared for the weather, when it does get bad, an opportunity for them to get items they may need in case there is severe weather,” the mayor said.

April 27th will mark the third anniversary when a string of storms swept through North Mississippi and West Alabama. Three people in Marion County lost their lives and officials are hoping the storm preparedness tax free weekend will give people incentive to be better prepared next time disaster strikes.

The Sales tax holiday runs from Friday the 21st through Sunday at midnight.