This Friday begins the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
The one where we eat large amounts of charred meats and vats of mayonnaise-laden salads, and drink copious amounts of beer and iced teas.
And the parades — lots of parades — where we remember our military heroes and wave our flags. So I thought it would be wise to let you know that under no circumstances is there a sales tax on American and New York Flags right here in our city.
It is also the weekend of sales, sales, and more sales, but that is another matter.
A longtime reader wrote to me recently and asked that I shout it out, loud and clear:
“NO sales tax on American and NY flags in Noo Yawk!”
Apparently she was in a store recently (she didn’t say which) and someone was purchasing a flag. She noticed that the sales person charged tax on the purchase.
This outraged reader was kind enough to send a link to a list of the states that exempt the flag from sales tax, which cites the New York State law on the matter — https://taxfoundation.org/happy-flag-day-14-states-exempt-flags-their-sales-taxes — just in case you decide you need to buy a flag to wave on Memorial Day, and you want to inform the cashier not to add the tax.
Now for a little history:
Originally named Decoration Day, Memorial Day originated in 1861, shortly after the start of the Civil War, when genteel ladies in Virginia decided they wanted to decorate the graves of those who wore Confederate grey. After the war, in 1868, a Union general called for a national Decoration Day to honor all of the reunited nation’s Civil War dead.
By the 1920s, it was more commonly known as Memorial Day and was extended to honor all American servicemembers who died in defense of our country.
In 1967, it was officially declared Memorial Day by federal law, and in 1968, when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Memorial Day moved from its traditional date of May 30 to the last Monday in May, thereby creating the three day-weekend we have come to look forward to as the official kick-off to summer — and the super-sales event of the year.
Not for Nuthin™, as usual, don’t lose sight of the sacrifices of our military personnel, the men and women who have given so much for so little, so we can wave our flags, eat charred meat and drink a cold brew. And yes, don’t forget those sales.
Thanks to leo92
Wishing you all a safe, happy, and healthy Memorial Day weekend.
Follow me on Twitter @JDelBuono.
