Lawmakers to hear calls for reinstating tax holiday

BOSTON (AP) — Retailers want state legislators to bring back the sales tax holiday. But there's no guarantee of that happening.

Several bills before a legislative committee on Tuesday would revive the tradition of suspending the state's 6.25 percent sales tax for one weekend in summer.

Popular among shoppers and merchants alike, the holiday was not held last year. Legislative leaders said the state could not afford to lose an estimated $26 million in tax revenue with the state in a tenuous fiscal situation that hasn't improved much since.

The Retailers Association of Massachusetts contends the state can't afford not to have the holiday. It says the event encourages consumers to spend money locally and support Main Street businesses at a time when the shift to online sales has dramatically altered the retail landscape.