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Roadwork suspended for tax-free shopping

Lane closures on I-85 south near Ga. Highway 74 have been suspended for the weekend along with all other major road construction projects in Georgia.

The decision was made to make it easier on motorists shopping to take advantage of the tax-free holiday this weekend. Many parents are expected to hit the stores and use the savings while buying back to school clothes and other items.

“We are aware folks want to save money during this tax-free holiday weekend so we have suspended many construction projects,” said Mickey McGee, metro district construction engineer.

Some construction crews will continue to work on the road shoulder in order to keep the projects on schedule, DOT officials said.

Motorists are asked to pay special attention to the road to avoid accidents in work zones.

Lane closures are expected to resume Sunday night and Monday, but no lane closures will be used during morning and evening commute times.

A number of restrictions apply to what can and can’t be purchased without the sales tax.

School supplies bought for classroom use are exempt if they cost $20 or less per item, and include pens, pencils, notebooks, paper, book bags, calculators, dictionaries and books that are listed on the approved school reading list for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Sales tax will be due on the purchase of any single school supply item that exceeds $20.

Clothing and footwear are exempt up to $100 per item, but there is no limit on how many pairs of shoes and clothing items an individual can buy. If the price of an article of clothing or pair of shoes exceeds $100, then the item will be taxed at its full retail price.

Clothing accessories, jewelry, handbags, umbrellas, eye-wear, watches, watchbands, and similar items are not exempt from sales tax during the tax-free period.

Purchases of computers and accessories are exempt up to $1,500 per transaction, and items included in the exemption include monitors, personal computer base units, keyboards, handheld computers, monitors, printers, modems, non-recreational software, and other peripheral devices.

Items that are not exempt include regular cell phones, digital cameras, furniture and any systems, devices, software, or peripherals designed or intended primarily for recreational use.