As Republican-backed tariff policies drive up the price of consumer goods, Connecticut residents will get a slight cost reprieve beginning Sunday when the state launches its annual sales tax holiday on clothing and footwear priced at less than $100.
The sales tax-free week will run through next Saturday, Aug. 23, and exempts most clothing and shoes under the $100 cost threshold from Connecticut’s 6.35% sales tax. The exemption applies to both brick and mortar and online sales.
In a press release, Connecticut Department Revenue Services Commissioner Mark Boughton said the tax holiday would provide families an opportunity to save money as they stock up on back-to-school supplies.
“We encourage everyone to take advantage of these savings and shop local,” Boughton said.
Certain specialty items are not covered by the tax holiday. They include some clothes and footwear designed for athletic use as well as other items like jewelry, handbags, and wallets, according to the Department of Revenue Services.
Gov. Ned Lamont said the annual tax-free week would deliver Connecticut consumers some extra savings.
“I encourage everyone to take advantage of these savings and, as always, support our many locally-owned small businesses,” Lamont said.
Some of those locally owned businesses have reported feeling increased strain as a result of the tariffs enacted by Republican President Donald Trump.
In interviews with national media outlets this month, Connecticut grocery store chain owner Stew Leonard Jr. said he had been absorbing increased costs as a result of Trump’s policies, and would soon need to pass those price hikes on to consumers.
“We’re hanging by our fingernails right now,” Leonard told Bloomberg TV. “We can’t do this forever.”
It remains largely unclear whether Connecticut Republicans support these new taxes on Connecticut residents and businesses enacted by Republicans in Washington. However, Greenwich Republican Sen. Ryan Fazio did find time to criticize Connecticut’s tax holiday in an interview with the Connecticut Mirror, where he called the tax-free week a “PR stunt.”
