Merchants prep for state tax-free rush on hurricane items

This weekend is an opportune time to buy hurricane-related supplies for the 2008 hurricane season.

The annual state sales tax holiday on purchases of hurricane-preparedness items is Saturday and Sunday, the last full weekend of the month, prior to the start of Hurricane season June 1 — and Teche Area retailers are getting ready.

The discount is allowed for the first $1,500 of purchases of hurricane-preparedness items. Inside the city, the sales tax is 8.5 percent, and outside the city it is 7.25 percent. The discount only applies to the 4 percent state portion of each tax.

The state Department of Revenue said hurricane items are self-powered light sources (flashlights and candles), two-way and weather band radios, tarpaulins or other flexible, waterproof sheeting, ground anchor systems and tie-down kits, gasoline or diesel fuel tanks, various types of batteries (excluding automobile and boat), cell phone chargers, non-electric food storage coolers, portable generators, storm shutter devices and materials, carbon monoxide detectors and blue ice products.

David Guillory, operations manager at Lowe’s in New Iberia, said his store will program cash registers with a price maintenance software provided by corporate headquarters in Houston during the sales tax holiday.

“It just goes into our system and takes out the discount,” Guillory said. “We are big advocates of being prepared early for hurricane season.”

Guillory said fliers will be given out at the store listing what sales items the discount will apply to.

Lowe’s also will match the the discount and give an additional 4 percent.

Doug Ashy Building Materials in New Iberia expects to use a similar method, having done so in the past.

“We’ve done that every year that it’s taken place,” Assistant Manager Barry Broussard said.

For more information about hurricane preparedness visit www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/index.shtm.