Massachusetts legislators scrambled into the early Friday morning hours to pass legislation that sets the date for this year’s sales tax holiday.
The bill sets the 2014 Massachusetts sales tax holiday for August 16th and 17th. The sales tax holiday was just one part of a larger economic development package that’s now headed to Governor Deval Patrick’s desk to be signed into law.
Earlier this legislative season, Massachusetts lawmakers couldn’t agree on a date for this year’s sales tax holiday.
The weekend, which has popular support from Massachusetts shoppers, only got a date late Wednesday night as it came out of committee in time for the final day of the state legislative session.
The last-minute rush to pass legislation, including the sales tax holiday, is nothing new for Massachusetts lawmakers. Last year, the sales tax holiday wasn’t signed into law until August 2nd, leaving shoppers and retailers with less than a week’s notice.
Governor Patrick has ten days to sign any legislation that comes to his desk.
While it is expected to get his signature, if Governor Patrick waits the full ten days to sign the bill into law, that leaves little time for retail workers to prepare as many Massachusetts stores call in extra help to accommodate the rush of shoppers.
Massachusetts is one of sixteen other states to offer a sales tax holiday to shoppers in August.
Meanwhile, retailers like Apple have begun reminding shoppers to take advantage of tax free shopping in several states this weekend.
Until the bill gets signed into law, Massachusetts consumers will have to wait to find out if they’ll be saving on taxes this year as they have in years past.
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