August 15, 2008 Bay State to go sales tax free this weekend Play video

(NECN: Josh Brogadir) - The state of Massachusetts will host a tax-free holiday this weekend. On August 16th and 17th, consumers will be able to purchase electronics, games, apparel and home goods sans the 5% sales tax.

Goods costing up to $2,500 will be exempt from the tax, but boats, cars, meals and tobacco products will be excluded from the holiday, as will telecommunication services and gas, steam and electricity utilities.

CDs and DVDs are today's choice for 16-year-old Wyatt Bertz of Northboro, Massachusetts. Not yet a driver, he's felt the economy's pinch, not at the gas pump, but he was recently laid off as a camp counselor. Even so, he doesn't think Massachusetts' 5% sales tax holiday will make that much of a difference.

"For someone like me buying CDs, it is really not going to make a huge impact on my spending because I'm not spending a lot of money. If I was in the market to make a much bigger purchase, like a car, huge electronics, then I'd be more excited about the holiday coming up."

A different age bracket means a different story for Mireille Andrades of Worcester, Massachusetts, who is at Wal-Mart for a digital camera.

"I held back my schedule to shop, today, starting tomorrow so because of the fact that it will be a way to find savings, especially when you have more than one child and being a single parent is a challenge. So, yeah, definitely something that we should do every year."

Lawmakers say a similar holiday

They say it will be particularly helpful this year, with the country's economic slowdown and gas prices at record highs.