BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- The “Grand Bargain” law signed by Governor Charlie Baker last week makes a summer sales tax holiday a permanent annual fixture on the calendars of shoppers and business owners in Massachusetts - but it doesn’t begin until 2019.
House speaker Bob DeLeo wants something this year.
“I’m going to be proposing it – the House intends to take up the “Economic Development” bill. One of my thoughts is that we make it part of that piece of legislation,” DeLeo said. “In any case, if that legislation should go into conference and take some time, I would not be opposed to separating this particular piece from that, so that we can make sure that we get it to the Senate and on to the governor’s desk before we break in July.”
Usually, a sales tax holiday is aimed at back to school items. WBZ’s Karyn Regal spoke with a small business that would like to take advantage.
Rachel Chandler runs Red Antler Apothecary at Mill No. 5 in Lowell and says she’s not sure how much a sales tax holiday would affect her essential oil, herbal and medicinal business.
“I think that it will be very interesting to see how much it may or may not affect [business],” Chandler said.
Despite the uncertainty, the local business owner will do what she can to take advantage of the holiday. She says that she will be pushing and promoting on social media. She may even run some specials.
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