Oklahoma Tax-Free Shoppers, Merchants Out In Force

Oklahoma is right in the middle of tax-free weekend. Some retailers call it the biggest day for sales, aside from the day after Thanksgiving, but how much of a difference does it really make with shoppers

No doubt, it's certainly feels different when you look down at the receipt and see that the subtotal and total are the same. This weekend, here in Oklahoma, most clothing and shoes are tax-free under $100 - and that's per item, not the total order.

But after talking to several families, we found a wide range of enthusiasm about this weekend.

There's almost no retailer you can visit this weekend that doesn't advertise Tax-Free Weekend, a lot. And for people like Shovella Perkins - who's trying to get six kids ready for back-to-school - they can't get enough.

"Yeah it's definitely worth it. We came, we got schools clothes, school shoes. And it made a really big difference."

Not only is it appointment shopping for some customers like Perkins, but it's circled on the calendar at stores like JC Penney. They tell us this day is huge for sales, second only to Black Friday.

"It huge for our business. We'll do four times our normal volume. We bring in extra people; it's an everybody-works weekend," said David Spinks, JC Penney store leader.

7/31/2014 Related Story: Oklahomans Gear Up For Back-To-School Shopping On Tax-Free Holiday

But not everyone is chomping at the bit for a tax-free holiday. People like Kyle Martindale said it was not a reason he was out shopping.

"I can understand why you would want to, but for me I guess it's not that big a selling point," he said.

But how many tax breaks are really there for Oklahoma shoppers? Oklahoma is one of 16 states with a back-to-school tax-free weekend, and we are one of the few that just offers tax-free clothes and shoes.

Rules For Oklahoma Tax-Free Weekend

For example, Arkansas includes school supplies, Texas does both of those, plus backpacks. Missouri includes tax-free on computers under $3,500.

And this might make you jealous - Louisiana allows all personal property under $2,500 to be tax-free for two days.

While some were more enthusiastic than others about Tax-Free, it's hard to argue with the timing.

"The timing of it is great, because it's a week before they go back to school," said shopper Mary Chown. 

"So you can get all the supplies and if you forgot anything, you have another weekend yet before they go back."

Tax-Free Weekend ends Sunday at midnight.