Virginia Sales Tax Holiday

When is it?

August 3-5, 2018. The 3-day sales tax holiday starts the first Friday in August at 12:01 am and ends the following Sunday at 11:59 pm. 

What is it? 

During the sales tax holiday, you can buy qualifying school supplies, clothing, footwear, hurricane and emergency preparedness items, and Energy Star™ and WaterSense™ products without paying sales tax.

What items are eligible?

• School supplies, clothing, and footwear 
  • Qualified school supplies - $20 or less per item
  • Qualified clothing and footwear - $100 or less per item
• Hurricane and emergency preparedness products  
  • Portable generators - $1,000 or less per item
  • Gas-powered chainsaws - $350 or less per item
  • Chainsaw accessories - $60 or less per item
  • Other specified hurricane preparedness items - $60 or less per item 
• Energy Star™ and WaterSense™​ products 
  • Qualifying Energy Star™ or WaterSense™ products purchased for noncommercial home or personal use - $2,500 or less per item

Detailed lists of qualifying items and more information for retailers can be found in the 2018 Combined Sales Tax Holiday Guidelines. 

ACPS FACE Center Kicks off School Supplies Drive

ACPS FACE Center Kicks off School Supplies Drive

Alexandria, Va. – Alexandria City Public Schools’ (ACPS) Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Center and Community Partners for Children (CPC), an Alexandria nonprofit organization, will kick off their annual Back-to-School Drive for school supplies for students this Tuesday, July 29. Each fall, many Alexandria students of all ages face the prospect of starting school without adequate supplies.

“By coming together as a community, we can ensure all students have the basic tools to start the school year with confidence,” says FACE Manager Krishna Leyva.

In partnership with CPC and local businesses, FACE will collect backpacks, spiral notebooks, wide-rule notebook paper, pens, pencils, crayons, erasers, two-pocket folders, pencil pouches, scissors, rulers, and school supplies for all age groups. These supplies will then be distributed to ACPS students through each school’s social workers.

FACE is asking the community to donate new backpacks and school supplies by dropping them off in collection bins placed in local area businesses.

The Back-to-School Drive runs until Sunday, Aug. 24. Anyone wishing to contribute may help as follows:

• Donate new backpacks and school supplies by dropping them off in one of the donation boxes at the locations listed in the flier.
• Volunteer to help sort school supplies on Tuesday, Aug. 26, at T.C. Williams High School. To volunteer, email Krishna Leyva.

FACE thanks the local sponsors who support the drive and provide sites for the donation boxes. Donation boxes are located at the area businesses listed in the flier.

DROP-OFF LOCATIONS
Please drop off new school supplies at these area businesses.
The supplies will be distributed to children in the Alexandria City Public Schools. Thank you!

DEL RAY AREA

Cora Kelly Recreation Center – 25 W. Reed Ave.
Dept. of Community & Human Services – 2525 Mount Vernon Ave. The Dairy Godmother – 2308 Mount Vernon Ave.
Eclectic Nature Gift & Garden Center – 1503 Mount Vernon Ave. Grace Episcopal Church – 3601 Russell Rd.
Nature's Nibbles – 2601 Mount Vernon Ave.
Pork Barrel BBQ – 2312 Mount Vernon Ave.

OLD TOWN AREA

Alexandria Bar Association – 520 King St., Suite 202 Alexandria City Hall – 301 King St., Main Lobby & 2nd Floor Alexandria Fire Department – 900 Second St.
Altarum Institute – 2000 Duke St., Suite 200
Artfully Chocolate – 506 John Carlyle St.
Carlyle Place – 2251 Eisenhower Ave
Charles Houston Recreation Center – 901 Wythe St.
Delta Career Education Corporation – 99 Canal Center Plaza MPR Associates, Inc. – 320 King St.
McEnearney Associates – 109 S. Pitt St.
PTO Federal Credit Union – 501 Dulaney St., 1st Floor Volunteer Alexandria – 123 N. Alfred St., 1st Floor

OTHER ALEXANDRIA LOCATIONS

Alexandria Health Department – 4480 King St., 4th Floor Alexandria INOVA Hospital – 4320 Seminary Rd.
Alexandria Transportation & Environmental Services – 2900 Business Center Drive
Congregation Agudas Achim – 2908 Valley Dr. Crave Frozen Yogurt – 3610 King St., Bradlee Center DASH – 3000 Business Center Drive
Lee Center – 1108 Jefferson St.

T.C. Williams High School – 3330 King St., Main Office Tempo Restaurant – 4231 Duke St.
William Ramsay Recreation Center – 5650 Sanger Ave.

THE FOLLOWING BURKE & HERBERT LOCATIONS
Carlyle – 1775 Jamieson Ave. Fairlington – 1705 Fern St.
King Street – 621 King St. Landmark – 155 N Paxton St. Main Office – 100 S Fairfax St. Monroe Ave – 306 E Monroe Ave.

ALL ALEXANDRIA PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCHES
Barrett Branch – 717 Queen St.
Beatley Branch – 5005 Duke St.
Burke Branch – 4701 Seminary Rd.
Duncan Branch – 2501 Commonwealth Ave.

RESIDENTIAL COMPLEXES
The Alexander – Apartments – 4390 King St.
The Asher – Apartments – 620 N. Fayette St.
Bell Dell Ray – Apartments – 625 East Monroe St.
Braddock Place – Condominium – 1200 Braddock Place
The Henry – Condominium – 525 N. Fayette St.
The Kingsley – Apartments – 500 Madison St.
London Park Towers – Apartments – 5375 Duke St.
Meridian at Braddock – Apartments – 1200 First St.
Park East – Condominium – 1225 Martha Custis Drive
Place One – Condominium – 5500 Holmes Run Parkway
Port Royal – Condominium – 801 N. Pitt St.
The Sentinel of Landmark – Condominium – 6300 Stevenson Ave. Whitestone at Landmark – Apartments – 250 S. Whiting St.

SUPPLIES NEEDED: 

Backpacks

Spiral notebooks

Wide-Rule filler paper 

3 ring binders

2 pocket folders

Subject dividers

Pencil boxes

Scissors

Glue

Rulers

Pencils

Pens

Pencil sharpeners 

Erasers

Markers

Crayons

Highlighters

Tissues

For more information, contact Gerson Paniagua at 703-824-6865 or gerson.paniagua@acps.k12.va.us 

School Supplies Tax FREE August 1st to 3rd

August Sales Tax Holiday: School Supplies and Clothing

The First full weekend of August (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) each year. 

This year the holiday will take place August 1-3, 2014.

During this three-day period, purchases of qualifying school supplies selling for $20 or less per item, and purchases of qualifying clothing and footwear selling for $100 or less per item will be exempt from sales tax. 

Retailers may also choose to absorb the tax on other items during the holiday period, but they are responsible for paying the tax on those items to the Department of Taxation.

For more information, FAQ's, and specific guidelines go to:  

http://www.tax.virginia.gov/site.cfm?alias=SchoolSuppliesAndClothingHoliday

Sales Tax holiday for School Supplies and Clothing

School Supplies and Clothing Sales Tax Holiday: 

This year the tax holiday will be August 2-4. 

During this holiday, purchases of school supplies selling for $20 or less per item, and purchases of  clothing and footwear selling for $100 or less per item will be exempt from sales tax. 

Here is a list of tax exempt items from the VA Department of Taxation: 

School Supplies: 

The following is an all-inclusive list of items that are included in the term “school supply” and are therefore exempt from tax during the sales tax holiday period, provided their sales price is $20 or less per item. Only the following items are exempt as school supplies. Items need not be intended for use in school or in connection with a school activity to be eligible for the exemption.

• Binder pockets
  
• Binders
  
• Blackboard chalk
  
• Book bags
  
• Calculators
  
• Cellophane tape
  
• Clay and glazes
  
• Compasses
  
• Composition books
  
• Crayons
  
• Dictionaries and thesauruses
  
• Dividers
  
• Erasers (including dry erase marker erasers and dry erase marker
  
• cleaning solution)
  
• Folders: expandable, pocket, plastic, and manila
  
• Glue, paste, and paste sticks
  
• Highlighters
  
• Index card boxes
  
• Index cards
  
• Legal pads
  
• Lunch boxes
  
• Markers (including dry erase markers and dry erase marker kits)
  
• Musical instruments, musical instrument accessories, and replacement
  items for musical instruments
  
• Notebooks
  
• Paintbrushes for artwork
  
• Paints (acrylic, tempera, and oil)
  

• Paper: loose leaf ruled notebook paper, copy paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper, poster board and construction paper
  
• Pencil boxes and other school supply boxes
  
• Pencil sharpeners
  
• Pencils
  
• Pens
  
• Protractors
  
• Reference books
  
• Reference maps and globes
  
• Rulers
  
• Scissors
  
• Sheet music
  
• Sketch and drawing pads
  
• Textbooks
  
• Watercolors
  
• Workbooks; and
  
• Writing tablets
  
  
  “School computer supply” is an item commonly used by a student in a course of study in which a computer is used. For purposes of the sales tax holiday, the term “school computer supply” is not included under the term, “school supply.” Any school computer supply is ineligible for exemption during the sales tax holiday. The following is a list of examples that constitute school computer supplies:
  • Computer storage media; diskettes; compact disks
    
  • Handheld electronic schedulers
    
  • Personal digital assistants
    
  • Printers for computers; and
    
  • Printer supplies for computers; printer paper, printer ink 
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    0. List of Clothing Eligible for Exemption
       “Clothing” means any article of wearing apparel and typical footwear intended to be worn on or about the human body. Clothing does not include sporting equipment or footwear designed primarily for athletic activity or protective use and not usually considered appropriate for everyday wear. These items may not be purchased exempt of the tax.
       The following is a list of items that are included in the term “clothing” and are therefore exempt from tax during the sales tax holiday period, provided their sales price is $100 or less per item. This list is not all-inclusive. Other items meeting the definition of clothing may be purchased exempt of the tax.

    
    • Aprons, household and shop
      
    • Athletic supporters
      
    • Baby bibs and clothes
      
    • Baby receiving blankets
      
    • Bandanas
      
    • Bathing suits, swim trunks, cover-ups and bathing caps
      
    • Beach capes and coats
      
    • Belts and suspenders
      
    • Bibs
      
    • Boots
      
    • Choir and altar clothing
      
    • Clerical vestments
      
    • Coats, jackets, and windbreakers
      
    • Corsets and corset laces
      
    • Costumes (sold not rented)
      
    • Coveralls
      
    • Diapers, children and adult, including disposable diapers
      
    • Dresses
      
    • Ear muffs
      
    • Footlets
      
    • Formal wear for men and women (sold, not rented)
      
    • Fur coats and stoles, shawls and wraps
      
    • Garters and garter belts
      
    • Girdles
      
    • Gloves and mittens for general use
      
    • Golf clothing, caps, dresses, shirts, skirts, pants
      
    • Gym suits and uniforms
      
    • Hats and caps
      
    • Hosiery
      
    • Insoles, inserts for shoes
      
    • Jeans
      
    • Jerseys (both athletic and non-athletic)
      
    • Lab coats
      
    • Legwarmers
      
    • Leotards and tights
      
    • Lingerie
      
    • Neckwear, including bow ties, neckties, and scarves
      
    • Nightgowns
      
    • Overshoes and rubber shoes
      
    • Pajamas
      
    • Pantyhose
      
    • Raincoats, rain hats, and ponchos
      
    • Robes
      
    • Rubber pants
      
    • Rubber thong/flip-flops
      
    • Sandals
      
    • Scarves
      
    • Shirts and blouses
      
    • Shoes and shoe laces
      
    • Shorts
      
    • Skirts
      
    • Slacks
      
    • Slippers
      
    • Slips
      
    • Sneakers
      
    • Socks and stockings, including athletic socks
      
    • Steel toed shoes
      
    • Suits
      
    • Suspenders
      
    • Underwear
      
    • Uniforms, athletic and non-athletic
      
    • Vests
      
    • Wedding apparel, including veils (sold not rented) 
      
      
      
      0. 
         
    
    

School Supply Donation Drive

FACE Center Kicks off School Supplies Drive

 

Alexandria, Va. – Alexandria City Public Schools’ Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Center and Community Partners for Children (CPC), an Alexandria nonprofit organization, this week kicked off their annual Back-to-School Drive for school supplies for students. Each fall, many Alexandria students of all ages face the prospect of starting school without adequate supplies.
“ACPS families have benefitted from this drive and the commitment of CPC for the last 21 years to ensure that all Alexandria children are prepared for school,” said FACE Manager Shanna Samson. “FACE wants every student qualifying for free or reduced-price school meals to have the basic tools to start the school year with confidence.”
In partnership with CPC and local businesses, FACE will collect backpacks, spiral notebooks, wide-rule notebook paper, pens, pencils, crayons, erasers, two- pocket folders, pencil pouches, scissors, rulers and other school supplies for all age groups. These items will then be distributed to ACPS students.
FACE is asking the community to donate new backpacks and school supplies by dropping them off in collection bins placed in local area businesses.

The Back-to-School Drive runs until Aug. 19. Backpacks stuffed with supplies will be distributed to students during FACE’s annual Back to School Family Night at T.C. Williams.

Anyone wishing to contribute may help as follows:
*         Between July 22 and Aug. 21, donate new backpacks and school supplies by dropping them off in one of the donation boxes at the locations listed below.
*        Send gift cards from local retailers (Target, Walmart, Staples, OfficeMax or CVS)to The FACE Center, T.C. Williams High School, Room No. A123, 3330 King St., Alexandria, Va. 22302. Gift cards will be used to purchase supplies to be distributed.
*      Volunteer to help sort school supplies on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at T.C. Williams High School. To volunteer, email shanna.samson@acps.k12.va.us.

FACE thanks the following local sponsors who support the drive and provide sites for the donation boxes. 
Donation boxes are located at the area businesses listed below:
DEL RAY AREA

A Show of Hands – 2301 Mount Vernon Ave.

Artfully Chocolate – 2003A Mount Vernon Ave.

Caboose Café – 2419 Mount Vernon Ave.

Cora Kelly Recreation Center -- 25 W. Reed Ave.

Dairy Godmother – 2308 Mount Vernon Ave.

Eclectic Nature Gift & Garden Center – 1503 Mount Vernon Ave.

FireFlies – 1501 Mount Vernon Ave.

Grace Episcopal Church – 3601 Russell Rd.

Nature's Nibbles – 2601 Mount Vernon Ave.

Neighborhood Pharmacy — 2204 Mount Vernon Ave.

Pork Barrel BBQ — 2312 Mount Vernon Ave.

St. Elmo's Coffee Pub – 2300 Mount Vernon Ave.

Ultimate Results — 2305 Mount Vernon Ave.

Yates Automotive – 317 E. Braddock Road

Yoga in Daily Life – 2402 Mount Vernon Ave.

OLD TOWN AREA

Alexandria City Hall – 301 King St., Main Lobby and Second Floor

ASIS International – 1625 Prince St.

Charles Houston Recreation Center — 901 Wythe St.

McEnearney Associates – 109 S. Pitt St.

Today's Cargo – 1102 King St.

Volunteer Alexandria – 123 N Alfred St., First Floor

THE FOLLOWING BURKE & HERBERT BANK LOCATIONS

Carlyle – 1775 Jamieson Ave.

Fairlington Branch – 1705 Fern St.

King Street – 621 King St.

Landmark — 155 N. Paxton St.

Main Office – 100 S. Fairfax St.

Monroe Ave – 306 E. Monroe Ave.

ALL ALEXANDRIA PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCHES

Barrett Branch – 717 Queen St.

Beatley Branch – 5005 Duke St.

Burke Branch – 4701 Seminary Road

Duncan Branch – 2501 Commonwealth Ave.

OTHER ALEXANDRIA LOCATIONS

Alexandria Department of Health – 4480 King St., Fourth Floor

Alexandria INOVA – 4320 Seminary Road

William Ramsay Recreation Center — 5650 Sanger Ave.

Nannie J. Lee Recreation Center — 1108 Jefferson St.

State Farm — 1705 Centre Plaza

Church of the Resurrection – 2280 N Beauregard St.

Commonwealth Federal Credit Union – 4875 Eisenhower Ave.

Congregation Agudas Achim – 2908 Valley Dr.

The Church of St. Clement – 1701 Quaker Ln.

The Sentinel of Landmark – 6300 Stevenson Ave.

Crave Frozen Yogurt – 3610 King St., Bradlee Center

Northern Virginia Community College—3001 N. Beauregard St.

FACE is a program of the Alexandria City Public Schools and Community Partners for Children is an all-volunteer 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that helps Alexandria children. For more information about FACE or CPC, contact Shanna Samson at 703-824-6865.

Carpenter's Shelter Back to School Donation Drive

Last year, Carpenter’s Shelter sent over 100 children back to school with backpacks, new clothes and school supplies. 

This year they hope to be even more successful.  

There are 3 ways that you can help.  

1. Sponsor a child.

2. Donate school supplies.

3. Volunteer at the back to school event August 24.

School supplies needed are:

Glue Sticks 

Large Pencils 

Pencil Sharpeners 

Tabbed Dividers 

Large Crayons 

3-Ring Binders 

Child-Safe Scissors 

Erasable Red Pencils 

Pocket Dictionaries 

Gallon Zip Lock Bags

Vinyl Pencil Pouches 

Calculators 

Small Stapler 

Large Markers 

Scotch Tape 

Compass 

Wet Ones 

Hand Sanitizer 

Backpacks Tissues

Colored Pencils 

Erasers 

Graph Paper 

Highlighters 

Index Cards 

Spiral Notebooks 

Paper Pocket Folders 

Protractors 

Rulers

Another way to help, consider outfitting a child with shoes or clothing by donating Gift Cards (Old Navy, Target, Wal-Mart)

Please call in advance to schedule a time to drop off supplies.

Contact Courtney Bishop, Volunteer Coordinator, courtneybishop@carpentersshelter.org

School Supply Donation Drive

School Supply Drive -- Now through August 29

Community Partners for Children, a  community-based nonprofit organization that works to better the lives of needy children in Alexandria, will be collecting school supplies and backpacks for over 5,000 children attending Alexandria City public schools.

The school supplies that are generously donated by individuals, organizations and businesses, are given to school social workers who then distribute them to eligible and needy students at the beginning of the school year.

There are collection sites and boxes throughout the city, including public libraries and recreation centers.