dc inhabitants: do you feel $600K richer? apparently that’s how much the district lost in revenue after the recent tax-free days. the verdict’s is yet to be determined on how successful tax-free days are. do they boost business? do they provide good deals to consumers? do the local governments lose their shirts?

across the nation, 12 states and dc implemented tax-free days post-thanksgiving. the states are pretty specific in what they include on the tax-free list — to prevent shoppers from going hog-wild on purchases. plus you wonder if the businesses hold back on some discounts because they pitch tax-free in its place.

dc’s tax-free list covers items like clothes and school supplies, but if you’re in dc and want no tax on a computer, you’ll need to hike over to west virginia or pennsylvania.

as always, buyer beware and there’s no such thing as a free lunch…