Mississippi’s Second Amendment Tax-Free Weekend Helped Hunters Save Money

[Charlie T Waite]

Mississippi residents recently saved money on all purchases of firearms, ammunition and other hunting supplies due to the state’s Second Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday. From Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, Mississippi residents did not have the 7% sales tax collected on firearms, ammunition and hunting supplies—giving hunters the chance to save money before the start of fall hunting.

Besides firearms, the tax-exemption applied to many hunting items including ammunition, archery equipment, firearm and archery accessories, hearing protection, decoys, tree stands, blinds, holsters, belts, slings and more.

The Mississippi Legislature passed (S 2425) in 2014, establishing the Second Amendment Weekend on the first Friday of every September. In 2016, (HR 1687) was passed and moved the sales tax holiday to the final weekend in August.

State Sen. Philip Moran (R), who authored the bill, said Mississippi was losing business to other states like Louisiana, which implemented its own tax-free holiday in 2009.

The Second Amendment Tax-Free Weekend in Mississippi not only provides savings to consumers, but also to businesses, which experience significant revenue spikes during that time period.

 “It’s like Black Friday for the gun industry. It’s absolutely the busiest weekend,” Joshua Gregory, owner of TGC Outdoors LLC in Abbeville, Miss, told America’s 1st Freedom.

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves has praised the holiday in a YouTube video: “You’ll get a tax break to make some of your favorite outdoor activities a little less expensive and you’ll support a Mississippi business.”

This year’s Second Amendment Weekend coincided with the start of both alligator and dove seasons.