Sales Tax Holiday This Week for Survival Items

By Amber Lester Kennedy Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Hurricane season officially begins June 1, and to help families prepare for possible hurricanes and/or flooding, the state has declared a sales tax holiday on some survival items.

Governor Bob McDonnell has declared this week “Hurricane and Flooding Preparedness Week.” Starting at midnight on May 25 and ending at 11:59 p.m. on May 31, consumers will pay no sales tax on certain items that would be useful in an emergency. Read the guidelines and list of exempt items here and here.

Ready Virginia recommends kits include at least three days of bottled water and non-perishable food; a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, with extra batteries; and a written family emergency plan.

For locality-specific emergency preparedness information, visit Williamsburg’s page, James City County’s page, and York County’s page.