In 2014, Mississippi lawmakers created a new and wonderful holiday – the Mississippi Second Amendment Tax Weekend (MSAW). One weekend out of each year, MSAW provides a tax break for outdoorsmen and firearm enthusiasts.
YES, you read that right! The great state of Mississippi has designated that certain products — including firearms and ammunition — should be tax free on one weekend of every year. Not only is this tax break available to every adult in the state of Mississippi, but online shoppers (as long as they purchase their qualifying items before the end of the weekend) are also eligible for these tax-free products. You better believe celebrations are through the roof in the weeks leading up to MSAW.
With many states — like a certain one east of New York, west of Rhode Island, and south of Massachusetts — having enacted peculiar gun laws seemingly at odds with the text of the Bills of Rights and established Supreme Court precedent, it's nice to see liberty-minded states like Mississippi leading the charge in providing taxpayers with a break. Not only is it a nice little monetary incentive, but good ol' Mississippi deserves a round of applause for standing up for their civil rights. While many people only view firearms as a tool for home defense or a hobby, it's important to remember that there are still a significant number of households still using firearms to put food on the table. So, when all is said and done, who can object to giving the little guy a break?
Giving tax relief to people in order to encourage them to exercise their Civil Rights seems down-right American. Throw in a few eagles, some fireworks (kept a safe distance from the eagles of course), and the beautiful trio of red, white, and blue, and you can smell the patriotism! At this point, we should be thinking back to the idea of a tax-free weekend and asking ourselves, "What else is eligible for a tax break on this happiest of holidays?" Well…
What is eligible for the Mississippi Second Amendment Tax Holiday?
The Second Amendment Holiday breaks down items as eligible (E) and non-eligible (N):
Ammunition Related
- Ammunition (E)
- Ammo boxes (N)
- Ammunition reloading supplies and tools (N)
- Bullets (E)
- Gunpowder loaded into the muzzle of a firearm (E)
- Shotgun shells (E)
Archery and Firearm Equipment & Accessories
- Armguards (E)
- Arrows (E)
- Arrow rests (E)
- Belts designed for hunting (E)
- Bows and bow accessories (E)
- Bow parts (E)
- Bow sights (E)
- Bow string and string accessories (E)
- Bow fishing accessories (E)
- Choke tubes (E)
- Cleaning and refinishing products (E)
- Crossbows (E)
- Equipment or parts specifically used for repairing archery or firearm equipment (E)
- Firearm parts (E)
- Hearing aids (N)
- Hearing protection (E)
- Holsters (E)
- Quivers (E)
- Releases (E)
- Safety equipment that is mounted or affixed to a firearm or bow (E)
- Scopes and mounts that are affixed to a firearm or bow (E)
- Archery and firearm shafts (E)
- Shooting bags and pouches (E)
- Shooting rest (E)
- Shooting tripod, bipod, or monopod (E)
- Sights (E)
- Slings designed for hunting (E)
- String wax (E)
- Targets (E)
- Trap or target throwers (E)
Firearms
- BB guns (N)
- Paintball guns (N)
- Pistols (E)
- Revolvers (E)
- Rifles (E)
- Shotguns (E)
- Toy guns (N)
Firearm and Archery Cases
- All purpose cases or bags (N)
- Hard cases designed specifically for firearms and archery equipment (E)
- Soft cases designed specifically for firearms and archery equipment (E)
General Hunting Supplies
- Apparel such as safety gear, camouflage clothing, jackets, hats, gloves, and thermal underwear (N)
- Animal feed (N)
- Animals used for hunting (N)
- ATVs (N)
- Backpacks (N)
- Binoculars (N)
- Blinds (N)
- Boats and boating equipment (N)
- Boots (N)
- Cameras (N)
- Camera tripod (N)
- Chairs and Seating (N)
- Decoys (N)
- Fishing Equipment (bait, tackle, etc.) (N)
- Game/food processing equipment (N)
- Game calls (N)
- Gun cabinets (N)
- Gun racks (N)
- Gun safes (N)
- Hunting clothing (N)
- Knives (N)
- Nets (N)
- Rain gear (N)
- Scent elimination (N)
- Scents and attractants (N)
- Shoes (N)
- Sunglasses (N)
- Taxidermy supplies and accessories (N)
- Tree stands (N)
- Trucks (N)
- Vests (N)
So, if you find yourself in the Mississippi area come MSAW, it might not be such a bad idea to enjoy a little shopping without that pesky sales tax!
