TAXATION -- SALES AND USE TAXES -- LIABILITY AND COMPUTATION, the official text

H8199 2026 -- H 8199 ======== LC003350 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO TAXATION -- SALES AND USE TAXES -- LIABILITY AND COMPUTATION Introduced By: Representatives Solomon, J. Brien, and Casey Date Introduced: February 27, 2026 Referred To: House Finance It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 44-18 of the General Laws entitled Sales and Use Taxes – Liability 2 and Computation is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 3 44-18-18.2. Annual Sales Tax Holiday. 4 (a) Notwithstanding any general or public law to the contrary, for the days of August 8, 5 2026 and August 9, 2026, sales tax shall not be imposed upon nonbusiness sales at retail of tangible 6 personal property. For purposes of this section, tangible personal property shall not include 7 telecommunications, tobacco products, gas, steam, oil, electricity, motor vehicles, motorboats, 8 meals or a single item whose price exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500). 9 (b) Notwithstanding any general or public law to the contrary, for the days of August 8, 10 2026 and August 9, 2026, a vendor shall not add to the sales price, or collect from a nonbusiness 11 purchaser, an excise upon sales at retail of tangible personal property. The director of the 12 department of revenue ( the director ) shall not require a vendor to collect and pay taxes upon sales 13 at retail of tangible personal property purchased on August 8, 2026 and August 9, 2026. An excise 14 erroneously or improperly collected during the days of August 8, 2026 and August 9, 2026, shall 15 be remitted to the department of revenue. 16 This section shall not apply to the sale of telecommunications, tobacco products, gas, 17 steam, oil, electricity, motor vehicles, motorboats, meals or a single item the price of which is in 18 excess of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500). 1 (c) Reporting requirements imposed upon vendors of tangible personal property, by law or 2 by regulation, including, but not limited to, the requirements for filing returns required pursuant to 3 the general laws, shall remain in effect for sales for the days of August 8, 2026 and August 9, 2026. 4 (d) On or before December 31, 2026, the director of the department of revenue shall certify 5 to the comptroller the amount of sales tax forgone, as well as new revenue raised from personal 6 and corporate income taxes and other sources pursuant to this section. The director shall file a report 7 with the house and senate finance committees detailing the distribution of revenues which would 8 have been deposited in each fund without this section. 9 (e) The director shall issue instructions or forms, or promulgate rules or regulations, as 10 necessary for the implementation of this section. 11 (f) Eligible sales at retail of tangible personal property under subsections (a) and (b) of this 12 section are restricted to those transactions occurring on August 8, 2026 and August 9, 2026. 13 Transfer of possession of or payment in full for the property shall occur on one of those days, and 14 prior sales or layaway sales shall be ineligible. 15 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC003350 ======== LC003350 - Page 2 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO TAXATION -- SALES AND USE TAXES -- LIABILITY AND COMPUTATION *** 1 This act would create a sales tax holiday for the days of August 8, 2026 and August 9, 2 2026, and no sales taxes would be collected on nonbusiness sales of tangible personal property, 3 with the exception of sales of telecommunications, tobacco products, gas, steam, oil, electricity, 4 motor vehicles, motorboats, meals or a single item whose price exceeds two thousand five hundred 5 dollars ($2,500). 6 This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC003350 ======== LC003350 - Page 3 of 3