Free Money, Expensive Raises, School Shopping, and Cheap Guns

So you’re interested in buying school supplies, or possibly guns, but you want to make sure you get the best possible deal — you’re in luck! Thanks to back-to-school tax holidays, many states will make that shopping cheaper for you. And later in the year, one state is even having a tax holiday for guns!

But first, how about some free money?

• The Wandering Tax Pro finds out how easy it is to get free money from the Feds — but not in the way you’d expect! It’s a good point about how little fact-checking there is behind the homebuyer’s rebate (and might explain why the homebuyer’s tax credit is taking so long.

• The Digerati Life discusses the historical minimum wage (see also the Taxrascal entry about the minimum wage). Digerati cites a study adding fuel to the anti minimum-wage fire: when minimum wages increase, more high school students drop out — because they think they’ll make more money!

• Kay Bell of Don’t Mess With Taxes discusses back-to-school tax holidays, with a handy calendar. Is your state on it?

• Roth & Company adds to the discussion: there’s a gun sales tax holiday, too! Which seems not so much “good” or “bad” as “bizarre,” especially since the tax holiday excludes ammunition.