Local businesses looking forward to ‘huge weekend’

LYNN – Area stores are gearing up for the tax-free holiday weekend, which starts tomorrow, and some are even being flooded with pre-orders in anticipation.”We’ve already had big crowds with pre-selling and people leaving credit cards if they’re going to be out of town,” said Alan Belinfante, owner of Beach Sales in Revere. “It’s a huge weekend for all the retail businesses. You can do a month of business in two days.”Belinfante said the tax free weekend nets big crowds for him every year.”People just don’t like to pay the tax,” he said. “I don’t care if it’s a $12 tax on a microwave. I just had a guy come in buying an air conditioner and the tax is $14, and he’s wondering if he should wait. He wound up buying it, but if you’re redoing your whole kitchen, I just had someone on the phone from Boston and they’re going to save $400. It’s huge.”According to the state’s website, Mass.gov, the tax holiday applies to “non-business sales of single items of tangible personal property costing $2,500 or less.” Tax is due on the entire price for items costing more than $2,500.Some items are not covered by the holiday, including all motor vehicles, motorboats, meals, telecommunications services, gas, steam, electricity and tobacco products, according to Mass.gov.There is also no sales tax on any article of clothing unless the sales price exceeds $175 and layaway sales do not qualify for the sales tax holiday.Leo Maestranzi, owner of Maestranzi Brothers in Beverly, also said he’s had customers pre-ordering in anticipation.”We’ve had quite a bit of snow-blower sales and quite a few lawnmower sales,” said Maestranzi. “Instead of coming in that day, people sign up early, and we run it through that day and deliver it the following week.”Maestranzi said his store will be open Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon and Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon.Richard Covert owns Richard Covert TV and Appliances in Lynn and said he’s looking forward to the tax-free holiday almost as much as his customers.”This is a major event for us every year and it’s a legitimate savings for the consumers,” said Covert. “We give added discounts and energy star rebates, and we process the sales slips on Saturday, Aug. 11. The customers don’t have to wait for the weekend to take advantage of the great offer, and we always offer free delivery and haul away old appliances.”Covert said refrigerators have been his most popular item this year because the heat of summer is burning out the compressors on older models.”Of course, televisions too,” said Covert. “We’re well-stocked with the latest TVs, and we’ve gone throughout the store and price-reduced selected items.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].