Comptroller Franchot: Buy a Flag and Don’t Pay Sales Tax

The 13-star flag was adopted as the official U.S. flag in 1777.

Happy Flag Day.

In case you forgot, today is flag day: June 14.

Historically, it is the date on which the Second Continental Congress (1777) adopted the Stars and Stripes as the official United States flag. It wasn’t until about 100 years ago that there was thinking about creating a holiday for flag day. First, President Woodrow Wilson made a Flag Day proclamation (in 1916). Then in 1949, Congress established National Flag Day on June 14.

Still, it isn’t a bank holiday. No businesses close. Nobody gets the day off. There isn’t even a flag day section at the Hallmark store. In fact, flag day is such a quiet holiday that national department stores haven’t come up with any “Flag Day” sale promotions.

Not yet anyway.

But Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot is letting Marylanders know that American flags, POW/MIA flags and the Maryland state flag are exempt from the six percent state sales tax. The waiver is not only true for flag day, but also for all other days of the year.

“Patriotism is tax-free and so is the purchase of American, Maryland or POW/MIA flags,” Franchot said. “Please remember that sales tax should not be charged on purchases of these flags now or at any other time of the year.”

For more information about Maryland sales tax exemptions, consumers can call the Comptroller’s Taxpayer Service Section at 410-260-7980, in Central Maryland, or 1-800-638-2937, toll-free from elsewhere, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.