Tax-free weekend set for Sept. 7-9

Stock up on hunting supplies, tax free

Darren Digby

There’s no better way to prepare for the upcoming hunting season than buying needed equipment without paying taxes.

The Annual Louisiana Second Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday set for Sept. 7-9 is the perfect time to stock up on all the hunting supplies for the coming year without paying state or local taxes.

That means stores selling outdoor-related equipment should be hopping the second weekend of September.

The list items covered under the authorizing legislations is exhaustive but includes guns, bows, ammunition, clothing, tree stands, knives, decoys, binoculars and range finders, ATVs and pretty much anything else that can be used during the hunting season.

"If you can make a case for it to be used hunting, dad-gumit, it’s tax free," Bowie Outfitter’s Lea Benoit said.

There are several ways to take advantage of the offer.

First, items put on layaway before the weekend are covered as long as possession is taken during the tax-free weekend.

However, if an item — say, a gun — isn’t on hand during the weekend, payment can be made and the merchandise can be picked up after it is ordered and arrives in the store.

"Yeah, they can take possession of it, but they just have to pay for it. If you come in and want to order a gun, and that gun is on a six-month back-order, if they pay for it and that gun comes in four months later you get it tax free," Benoit said.

Also, if an item from a store’s inventory, and that item is physically set aside for the pickup by the customer at a later date, the purchaser can avoid paying the state sales taxes.

Rain checks issued for merchandise before the sales weekend will be honored as tax-free purchases. However, rain checks issued during the weekend for later purchase are ineligible for the tax break.