Holiday . . . it would be so nice.

For a bargain lover like me, this weekend is a very very special weekend.  No, it's not my birthday (though it sort of feels like it.)  It's not even an Anthropologie sale.

But it IS the annual tax-free holiday in Massachusetts!  (I know, those of you in New Hampshire are laughing at me, not with me.)

Since we're in the market for living room furniture, I've been talking with a lot of retailers in advance of the weekend.  Quite a few of them didn't know the rules, so ever the intrepid lawyer, I took it upon myself to do a bit of research on the mass.gov website.  If you'll be making purchases this weekend, here's what you need to know:

• Only certain items qualify for the exemption.  This includes items purchased for personal use only (not business).  Among the items it doesn't apply to are motor vehicles, tobacco items, services, and meals.
• The exemption applies only on qualifying items retailing for less than $2500.  BUT -- and this is very important -- if you're purchasing multiple items, so long as each individual item is under $2500, there is no upper limit on the tax-free amount you can purchase.  So don't let Best Buy or Design Within Reach tell you that they need to invoice each item separately.  That's just bullshit to get you to pay multiple delivery fees.
• Internet sales are also included in the tax-free holiday, so long as the item(s) are paid for in full this weekend and even if the delivery date is later.
• Unlike in previous years, alcohol is included in the exemption.  So purchase your holiday bubbly early!

If you're interested in the nitty gritty, all the details are available from the mass.gov website here.  The website also has lots of helpful examples to clarify the rules.  I'd suggest taking a printout of the applicable page with you on your shopping trips, so that you can gently, but authoritatively, remind clueless sales clerks of the rules.

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We'll be taking advantage of the holiday to splurge on my beloved Noguchi table.  Oh how it makes my heart go pitter patter.

If you're in Massachusetts, will you be going shopping this weekend?  What's on your must-buy list?