CT's Sales Tax Free Week Starts Tomorrow!

August 20, 2022
Connecticut's 2022 Sales Tax Free Week is August 21 through August 27. This is a great opportunity to take the kids back-to-school shopping or to treat yourself or your loved ones while saving.
 
Many retailers in Connecticut offer additional discounts on clothing and footwear during Sales Tax Free Week, providing consumers with even more savings.

During the one-week sales tax holiday, most clothing and footwear items priced under $100 are exempt from the Connecticut sales tax. The exemption during Sales Tax Free Week applies to each eligible item costing under $100, regardless of how many of those items are sold to a customer in the same transaction. The tax holiday applies to purchases made in-store, online, mail-order, and over the phone.

The sales tax holiday occurs once a year as a result of legislation passed in 2015. However, in 2022, we passed a special act to establish a one-time tax holiday that ran from April 10 to 16 to help ease some of the financial strain on residents. The law also established CT's gas tax holiday and free bus service, which have been extended through the end of November.

More information about Connecticut’s Sales Tax Holiday, including a list of exempt and taxable items, is available on the Department of Revenue Services website.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.
 
CareerConneCT Program is Underway

I am excited to announce that CareerConneCT, a program I supported to help individuals whose employment was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, is underway.

The initiative, which will benefit thousands of state residents, is funded with $70 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

More than 19 job training programs are available to help train Connecticut workers mostly underrepresented in the workforce, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), people with disabilities, the re-entry population, opportunity youth, veterans, immigrants, and women.

Potential job seekers will have access to several training options including opportunities in manufacturing, information technology, health care, infrastructure and clean energy, and other high-demand sectors.

Each program will include supportive services to promote successful completion of training and connection to employment including childcare, transportation, career advising, and other forms of case management. Training and supportive services will be available at no cost to eligible participants.

In Connecticut, we are investing American Rescue Plan funds in workforce development and our state’s economic future.

Click here to learn more. 
 
Inflation Reduction Act Extends Health Insurance Premium Assistance 
Health insurance became more affordable for hundreds of thousands of Americans through enhanced premium tax credits created by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). As historic inflation and the lingering economic impacts of COVID-19 tightened budgets, these subsidies kept coverage more affordable for about 65,000 Connecticut residents. With these subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, about 21,000 Connecticut families would have seen their premiums increase on January 1, 2023.
 

With the signing of the federal Inflation Reduction Act, these subsidies will be extended through 2025, enabling Connecticut residents who purchase their health insurance through Access Health CT to continue receiving premium assistance.

Residents are encouraged to shop, compare, and enroll in coverage through AccessHealthCT.com. They can also find out if they're eligible for low- or no-cost health plans through HUSKY Health and Covered CT.

Residents can receive free enrollment assistance through the following options:

  • Online by visiting www.accesshealthct.com and by using the "Live Chat" icon to connect with a representative Monday-Friday from 8AM to 3:45PM.
  • In-Person with a certified broker or enrollment specialist in their community. Click here to locate one.
  • Calling an Access Health CT customer service representative at 1-855-805-4325 Monday-Friday from 8AM to 4PM. Customers who are deaf or hearing impaired may use TTY at 1-855-789-2428 or call with a relay operator.

In addition to making health insurance more affordable, the Inflation Reduction Act also takes steps to lower prescription drug costs for Medicare patients, makes sweeping investments in energy security and environmental justice, and closes loopholes the wealthiest Americans and corporations have used to avoid taxes.

No one should be priced out of receiving medical care, and here in Connecticut, I will continue to fight for more affordable insurance coverage and health care for all.