New Mexico Tax Holiday Friday through Sunday

A reminder that the 2010 New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax Holiday starts this Friday, August 6, and ends at midnight on Sunday, August 8.  We posted about this last week, but if you missed it, here’s the recap.

During the tax holiday weekend, you will not be charged sales tax on a wide variety of items, which makes back-to-school shopping even more affordable!

As with any legislation, the rules are somewhat complex. Basically, the following items are exempt from gross receipts tax during the tax holiday:

• Clothing or shoes priced less than $100 per unit/per pair
• Desktop, laptop, or notebook computers priced less than $1,000
• Other computer hardware priced less than $500 (such as a printer, mouse, keyboard, monitor, microphone, speakers etc.)  
• School supplies priced less than $15 per unit
• School backpacks, bookbags, handheld calculators priced less than $100 per unit

Note that phones, PDAs, handheld computers/email/internet devices, MP3 players, books, games including video games, office furniture, and musical instruments are specifically excluded. (That is, these items are taxable.)

Get more details on what’s taxable and nontaxable in the PDF file on the NM Gross Receipts Tax Holiday page.

Since Albuquerque’s gross receipts tax rate is 7%, you can save $70 on the purchase of a $1,000 laptop computer. Another example might be a family with four kids, each requiring $250 worth of clothing, shoes, and school supplies. They also would save $70 by not paying sales tax. That’s a big shopping saving, just by buying on the right weekend.

Retailers across the city will be participating, but if you have any doubts about what is or is not included in the 2010 Tax Holiday, please ask before you begin shopping.

–Tania

New Mexico Tax Holiday 2010

This year’s New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax Holiday starts on Friday, August 6, and ends at midnight on Sunday, August 8, 2010. During this time, you will not be charged sales tax on a wide variety of items, which makes back-to-school shopping even more affordable!

As with any legislation, the rules are somewhat complex. Basically, the following items are exempt from gross receipts tax during the tax holiday:

• Clothing or shoes priced less than $100 per unit/per pair
• Desktop, laptop, or notebook computers priced less than $1,000
• Other computer hardware priced less than $500 (such as a printer, mouse, keyboard, monitor, microphone, speakers etc.)  
• School supplies priced less than $15 per unit
• School backpacks, bookbags, handheld calculators priced less than $100 per unit

Note that phones, PDAs, handheld computers/email/internet devices, MP3 players, books, games including video games, office furniture, and musical instruments are specifically excluded. (That is, these items are taxable.)

Get more details on what’s taxable and nontaxable in the PDF file on the NM Gross Receipts Tax Holiday page.

Since Albuquerque’s gross receipts tax rate is 7%, you can save $70 on the purchase of a $1,000 laptop computer. Another example might be a family with four kids, each requiring $250 worth of clothing, shoes, and school supplies. They also would save $70 by not paying sales tax. That’s a big shopping saving, just by buying on the right weekend.

Hence we’re giving you the heads-up: If you’re planning a remote camping trip to the mountains, DON’T do it on the weekend of August 6 to 8, 2010!

Retailers across the city will be participating, but if you have any doubts about what is or is not included in the 2010 Tax Holiday, please ask before you begin shopping.

–Tania

$10 Off Coupon: Office Depot

If you need to stock up on supplies for your home office or business, here’s a goodie.

Use this coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase at Office Depot! Expires 11/12/09. Valid in-store or online (coupon code 15767686). Please carefully review the many restrictions on this coupon, including the fact it’s not valid on technology or accessories — including software.

However, if you’re in the market for paper, pens, school supplies, or any of that jazz, this coupon nets you a nifty 20% discount!

There are six Office Depot stores in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

–Elizabeth Hanes

Best Last-Minute Back to School Sales

Sonya asked for it; you got it! We’ve done all the last-minute back-to-school shopping for you and compiled a list of the best current deals on school supplies! This is a mondo list, so buckle your seatbelt….

• CVS Pharmacy: FREE filler paper (150 sheets). You pay 99¢ with ExtraCare card, then receive a 99¢ ExtraBucks reward, making the deal free. Limit 2 per household with card. Only valid through Tuesday, August 18 (8/19/09). Other CVS deals: Buy a backpack for $7.99, get a lunch carrier FREE (with ExtraCare card); 39¢ poster board; FREE Paper Mate Write Bros. pens 10-pack; FREE Caliber recycled school box; FREE mini composition book; 29¢ each pencil sharpener, pen/ink eraser, 12″ ruler, No. 2 pencils 10-count, or index dividers; buy 2 get 1 FREE fashion composition books, notebooks, or portfolios; BOGO Bic Wite-Out 0.7-oz bottle, shake-n-squeeze pen, or correction tape. Most of these offers require the ExtraCare card. Three Albuquerque-area CVS stores to serve you.
• Wal-Mart: 15¢ notebook, spiral bound, 70 sheets, college or wide ruled; $4 Five Star notebook, spiral bound, 200 sheets, college or wide ruled; $1.50 Five Star 1-subject notebook, 100 sheets, college or wide ruled; $2.50 each Avery 1″ view binder, Avery 5-tab dividers, Sharpie pens 2-pack, or Pilot G2 2-pack; $69 mini-fridge (Ed. note: When we were in college, there was no such thing as a dorm fridge, only Hot Pots); $39 microwave. Fifteen Wal-Mart stores in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Los Lunas, Belen, and Edgewood.
• Target: $29 microwave; 50¢ composition book; $2 mechanical pencils or Wite-Out correction tape; $5 dry-erase or cork bulletin board; $4 each Mead Five Star fashion planner or 2-subject fashion notebook; $13 Case it velcro-close binder; 69¢ each 24-count wood #2 pencils or 2-count pink erasers; $2.50 locker accessories, including mesh bin, mirror, or pencil holder; $20 JanSport backpack; $7 licensed lunch kits; $28 Epson Stylus NX100 printer/scanner/copier. Five Target stores in Albuquerque, and three others around New Mexico.
• K-mart: FREE box of Kleenex when you  buy school supplies totaling $15 or more (requires this coupon); 2 for $2 stretchable book covers or school boxes; 99¢ each Crayola 8-count watercolors or 12-count colored pencils; BOGO MX notebooks. Three K-mart stores in Albuquerque, one each in Rio Rancho and Santa Fe, plus five others throughout New Mexico.
• Staples: 25¢ black & white composition books (through Weds 8/19/09 only); $1 each Staples brand highlighter 6-pack, Paper Mate retractable gel pens 4-pack, Staples Comfort Stic ballpoint pens 12-pack, Paper Mate Expressions assorted fashion erasers 4-pack; BOGO Pentel Twist-Erase mechanical pencils 4-pack, Tiger paper clips 100-pack, Elmer’s school glue 4-oz, Westcott 7″ student scissors, Staples writing pads 12-pack, Staedtler Maxum ballpoint pens bold 8-pack, Staples letter-size poly expanding file, Staples finger-grip 12″ ruler. Six Staples stores in Albuquerque, Los Lunas, and Santa Fe.
• Walgreens: BOGO 3-ring binders 1/2 to 1.5 inches; buy one get one 50% off Mead Five Star notebooks 100-200 sheets; 49¢ each tab dividers 5-pack, Paper Mate pens or mechanical pencils 10-pack, crayons various size packs, sheet protectors, letter-size writing pads, pencil boxes, pencil case, index card case, Mirado classic #2 wooden pencils 6-pack, hand-held pencil sharpener, Penway school glue bottle, invisible tape; 99¢ 3-subject notebook (requires coupon in this flyer); six for $1 2-pocket folder (requires coupon in this flyer). There’s practically a Walgreens on every corner. More specifically, there are at least 50 in the Albuquerque area.
• Office Depot: 25¢ each glue sticks, book covers, half-size notebooks; $2.99 each Really Useful Boxes plastic 3-liter storage boxes or Office Depot brand plastic stacking crates; FREE with minimum purchase of $10 Office depot acrylic ruler, eraser caps 12-pack, or Scholastic crayons 8-pack; 99¢ each Fiskars school scissors, Office Depot Value notebook filler paper 150-count, Paper Mate Expressions mini pens 8-pack, stackable organizer trays, 3-hole notebook punch, magnetic rubber calculator, Webster’s mini dictionary, Office Depot correction tape, Gartner fashion portfolios, Paper Mate mechanical pencils 5-pack. Six Office Depot stores in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and Santa Fe.

Important: note that many of these offers have restrictions, such as quantity limitations (e.g.: “limit 2 per household” or “while supplies last”) and time limitations (e.g.: “offer good through Weds 8/19/09 only”). Our advice: pick up a copy of the store’s sale flyer when you arrive; they’re often available as you come in the door. Offers are good only on brands indicated (or the store brand). If you have any questions about whether or not an item is on sale, check with a sales associate before checking out!

Also, we are not an official source for any of the companies listed, so don’t bother brandishing a print-out of this post and thinking the clerk is going to honor any of the prices stated herein. We’re just reporting what we found when we shopped this weekend.

Good luck in hacking your way through the back-to-school supply jungle! And please use the comments section to note other fantastic back-to-school deals we overlooked. We’ll be happy to give you credit for the find!

–Elizabeth Hanes

Back to School Savings: $5 off Shoes

Sonya wrote and suggested we tell everyone where to find last-minute deals on school supplies. Great idea! And we’re working on that. Meanwhile, here’s a back to school deal on something tween girls everywhere consider a back-to-school “supply”: shoes!

Through August 19 (2009), print this coupon for $5 off any regular priced item over $24.99 at Shoes on a Shoestring. Presumably, that means this$5 off  coupon is good not only on shoes but also on other school staples such as Sakroots bags. Um, yeah.

We love Shoes on a Shoestring because they carry women’s shoes in all widths, including narrow. Frankly, it’s about the only place we can shoe our plank-shaped hooves.

Shoes on a Shoestring has two locations in Albuquerque, east side and west side, with a new store opening Thursday in Farmington. Tell your friends! Of course, you also can shop their famous Yellow Tags online.

–Elizabeth Hanes

Office Depot Coupon: $10 off $50 Purchase

Even if you don’t shop much at Office Depot, this could be a great coupon to use in combination with the Tax Holiday this weekend. Just print this coupon to save $10 off a $50 purchase. Take the time to read the extensive fine print; among other things, the coupon isn’t good on technology, so don’t plan to use it to score an additional discount off a computer, for example.

But for obtaining run-of-the-mill school supplies, this coupon should prove useful. One per household. Expires 8/10/09.

There are six Office Depot stores in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

–Elizabeth Hanes

Tax Holiday Friday through Sunday

Just a reminder that the 2009 Gross Receipts Tax Holiday begins Friday, August 7, and ends at midnight on Sunday, August 9. During this time, you will not be charged sales tax on a wide variety of items, which makes back-to-school shopping even more affordable!

As with any legislation, the rules are somewhat complex. Basically, you can avoid paying sales tax on the following items:

• Clothing or shoes priced less than $100 per unit
• Desktop, laptop, or notebook computers priced less than $1,000
• Other computer hardware priced less than $500 (such as printers)
• School supplies priced less than $15 per unit
• School backpacks priced less than $100 per unit

Note that cell phones, PDAs, and toupées (!) are specifically excluded. (That is, these items are taxable.) Get the complete list of non-taxable items here.

Since Albuquerque’s gross receipts tax rate is nearly 7%, you can save up to $70 on the purchase of a $1,000 laptop computer. That’s pretty substantial! Another example might be a family with four kids, each requiring $250 worth of clothing, shoes, and school supplies. They also would save about $70 by not paying sales tax. That’s a lotta box lunches.

Retailers across the city will be participating, but if you have any doubts about whether a specific store is participating, please ask before you begin shopping.

–Elizabeth Hanes

Free Child Safety Fair

Summer is that magical time when children are out of school and free to play…and nock their noggins on the sidewalk when falling off their bikes.

Luckily, Del Norte Baptist Church is sponsoring a free child safety fair on Saturday, June 6 (2009), from 10:00am – 1:00pm. Check out the booths with education and information to help keep kids safe this summer — and year-round. Plus, there will be a bike rodeo, food, jumpers, and drawings for backpacks filled with school supplies. (Aw, do we have to think about school already??)

All in all, sounds like a great family event!

Del Norte Baptist Church is located in the northeast heights at 5800 Montgomery Blvd NE, Albuquerque.

–Elizabeth Hanes