Taxes (and Reason) Take a Holiday

We said last week that we don’t think now is the time for a tax holiday, what with Massachusetts’ budget being royally screwed and the MBTA’s dismal financial situation, and all.

But Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation that will allow the state’s fifth annual sales tax holiday weekend to take place on August 16 and 17.

We get that most voters are psyched to save a few bucks on a big-ticket purchase, and they tend to remember the favor come election season. But the governor’s excuse for the maneuver is pretty lame.

From Boston.com’s report:

Patrick said he was glad the state could give people a break in time for back-to-school purchases. “We hope it stimulates all sorts of sales activity during what is otherwise a slow time of year,” he said in a statement.

Nice try, governor. But as anyone who’s been near an IKEA or a Target during the month of August knows all too well, this isn’t a slow time of year for commerce. In fact, studies show that only Christmas is a busier shopping season than the weeks before school starts up again.

Even the only state with its own Fark tag realized a sales tax holiday didn’t make sense. Florida’s senate rejected legislation that would have given the Sunshine State a tax holiday.

Think about that as you wait in an extra-long line to save the $9.95 you would have paid in taxes on your iPhone.