Local retailers in Coffee County, Alabama “…report the [sales tax] holiday provided slight increases in sales.”
Alabama’s first ever Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday occurred July 6-8, 2012. The weekend sales tax holiday “…allowed residents to purchase items needed in disaster preparedness—such as first-aid kits, tarps, plywood and batteries—without paying the state’s 4-cent sales tax.”
In Coffee County, only New Brockton participated in waiving the local taxes as well as the state portion of sales tax. The Dollar General store manager, Denise Mako, reported that the “…maneuver created a little more business” for the store. She indicated they had higher than normal bottled water sales.
In Enterprise, the sales tax holiday encouraged customers at the local Lowe’s to purchase “…more batteries and generators than normal.” However, Enterprise did not participate by waiving local sales and use taxes causing “…some confusion for customers not expecting to pay taxes at all.”
Additional challenges were faced by computer issues that “…forced associates to hand-code the tax break on Friday.”
Bob Parker, manager of the Lowe’s store in Enterprise used to live in Florida and he thinks the holiday will get better and bigger. “In Florida, they look for this all year. They would refresh their (emergency) kits. In the first year, there’s usually not enough awareness. I think it’ll have a bigger impact next year.”
Next year (2013), the Severe Weather Sales Tax Holiday will occur on the last full weekend in February.
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