First, a disclaimer: This blog really is only going to be interesting to Massachusetts customers! (Sorry VT, NH, CT, RI shoppers.)
Of course, I'm sure our customers who live in the Granite State couldn't care less about a sales tax holiday, right?
Now, if you live in one of the great states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Vermont this blog is going to be of little help to you (unless you are willing to drive to your nearest Massachusetts Manny's, in which you will be able to save our sales tax.)
But -- if you reside in the Bay State, there's a good chance you are aware of our state's annual no-sales-tax weekend, this year occuring on August 10th and 11th!
If you'd like to see some of the sales and discounts you can take advantage of in addition to the tax savings, a link to our circular can be found on our website. Just click on the link immediately to the left of the blog link you just clicked.
Massachusetts is one of 19 states that implemented a sales tax holiday in recent years. The intent is to help consumers with their back to school purchases. It also has the added benefit of helping to generate business at what is normally a slow time of year for some businesses.
(In case you were wondering, this is the breakout of the tax holidays throughout the country:)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/shopping/2024/07/19/back-to-school-shopping-sales-tax-holidays-2024/74411623007/
If you look at the list, you will see what makes the Massachusetts sales tax holiday different from other states -- It's the dollar cap!!
In Massachusetts, you can save the entire 6.25% sales tax on any purchase up to $2500! (Do note - over $2500, and you pay the full tax.)
Keep in mind: The cap is $2500 per product, NOT on the entire purchase. So, go ahead and add a new dryer to your washer, or upgrade your kitchen while saving a couple of hundred dollars!
As far as our neighboring states are concerned, only Connecticut has any sort of program, and it is far more restrictive: Clothing and shoes under $100 per item are tax-exempt from the state sales tax of 6.35%.
The result (perhaps unintended) of the unusually high limit in Mass is that sales in certain businesses (such as the household appliance business) spike - dramatically! Most, but not all, of our products fall neatly into the under-$2500 category. As a result, many customers time their appliance purchases to take advantage of the extra savings the tax holiday offers (plus, let's be honest... who doesn't want to find a way to pay less tax, yes?)
Have you ever shopped in a mall or big box store on a tax holiday weekend? If you have, you might have been frustrated by the huge crowds of shoppers, which makes getting the attention of salespeople challenging! (Personally, I haven't had the pleasure of shopping the tax holiday - I've always been on the other end, doing my best to at least try to take care of our customers. The experience can be stressful for employees as well as customers!)
We have developed a plan over the years, and we strongly encourage customers to consider this plan:
Come in between now and Friday August 9th. We will be busy, but not overwhelmed. We can work with you and help you with your purchase. Whether it's a basic washer for an apartment you're renting, a new range to replace the old coil top unit you've been nursing along, all the way up to putting together an appliance suite for a remodel or kitchen upgrade, we can help!
Here's the procedure we've developed:
- You come in ahead of time and speak with one of our experienced salespeople, so we can assist you in picking out your appliances.
- We put together on paper a "quote", outlining your purchase.
- On the 12th and 13th Manny's dedicated staff gets up early and drives to work, robust cup of black coffee in hand, and begins processing these payments.
One important stipulation to note: Your purchase must be paid in full on August 10-11. (That means no deposits or layaways. Sorry --
state rules!)
Now, we ask that you keep the two following thoughts in mind:
- This tidal wave of business is going to stress inventory levels. There will be temporary stockouts - we just don't know which pieces will be affected yet.
- Our delivery and warehouse teams will be working their tails off, but - there are only so many deliveries we can perform each day. Delivery turnaround will be longer the first few weeks after the holiday weekend.
So, as in past years, please be patient with us! We will do our best to get your tax-free appliances to you as quickly as possible.
If you have any questions regarding any of the above, you can always reach out to any of our staff at our eleven locations. Store numbers and addresses can be found on our web page.
And finally...Happy Shopping!!