From Monday to May 31, no Virginia sales tax will be charged on the purchase of many items that can be used to prepare homes for hurricane and flood season and to fill emergency supply kits.
The items listed below are exempt from sales tax during the week:
$60 and less
• Artificial ice, blue ice, ice packs and reusable ice
• Batteries (excluding automobile or boat batteries) including cell phone batteries
• Any battery-powered light source, including flashlights, lanterns and glow sticks
• Tarpaulins, plastic sheeting, plastic drop cloths and other flexible waterproof sheeting
• Bungee cords and rope
• Ground anchor systems or tie-down kits
• Ratchet straps
• Duct tape
• Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors
• Fire extinguishers
• Empty gas, propane or diesel fuel tanks or containers
• Water-storage containers, including buckets, barrels, canteen, cans, cooler
• Nonelectric food storage coolers
• Bottled water, any size and number of bottles, including flavored, carbonated and vitamin water
• Manual can openers
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radios (including radios with an electrical power option)
• Two-way radios
• Weather-band radios and NOAA Weather Radios
• Storm shutter devices that are made, rated and marketed specifically to prevention storm damage to windows, not plywood
• Cell phone chargers
• First aid kits
Customers can use manufacturer's coupons to lower the price of an item so it will qualify for the $60 or $1,000 price caps.
$1,000 or less
Shop for items in that have a sales price of $1,000 or less:
• Portable generators and generator power cords
• Inverters and inverter power cables

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