Kansans travel to Missouri for the sales tax holiday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The sales tax holiday in Missouri is attracting shoppers from Kansas.

The Target store on 136th Street near State Line Road in Martin City, Missouri, had plenty of Sunshine State shoppers Friday afternoon.

Shoppers from anywhere can take advantage of no sales tax on certain back to school items like notepads, clothing and some electronics.

The Missouri Department of Revenue lists the eligible items on its website. The sales tax holiday lasts through Sunday.

“Everything is more expensive,” Andrea Percy said. “It’s nice to have just a small tax break. Anything you can get is nice.”

Percy, who lives in Kansas, is shopping for two school-aged children. She spent about $187 Friday at Target. Most of her purchases qualified for the sales tax holiday. Combined with other sales and initiatives, Percy saved about $26 in total.

“It feels worth the drive,” Percy said.

The sales tax rate for non-food items at this Target is 9.975 percent. The sales tax rate, and thus the savings shoppers will see, varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

The Kansas legislature considered a bill this year to create a back to school sales tax holiday in the state, but it did not pass.

So Kansans like Lisa Vargo Racz will continue to shop in Missouri for these savings.

“Every little bit helps,” Vargo Racz said. “We got diapers to buy, and we got school lunches to buy. Anything else that we can save on, we’ll save on it.”

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