RICHMOND — Legislation enacted during the 2015 General Assembly (Senate Bill 1319) combined the three existing sales tax holidays into one, three-day holiday in August. 

 Prior Virginia law allowed for three separate sales tax holiday periods during which specified tangible personal property could be purchased exempt of the Retail Sales and Use Tax: a week-long exemption on hurricane preparedness items in May, a three-day exemption on school supplies and clothing in August, and a four-day exemption on items designated as Energy Star or WaterSense in October.

 The legislation consolidates all three of these holidays into the same August weekend each year, with the holiday beginning on the first Friday in August and ending on the Sunday that immediately follows. The holiday begins Friday at 12:01 a.m. and ends Aug. 9 at 11:59 p.m. There will be no separate Hurricane Preparedness holiday in May, nor a separate Energy Star or WaterSense tax holiday in October. 

For further information, visit www.tax.virginia.gov and click the “Learn more” link in the sales tax holiday slide on the Tax Department’s home page.