Tax-Free Days That Can Save You Money on Clothing and Computers
Back-to-school shopping may be exciting for the kids who get new gear, but less so for the parents who have to pay for it all.
The National Retail Federation found that 40% of shoppers plan to look for sales or coupons if back-to-school items are higher than expected.
Some shoppers will get a little relief as 17 states have tax-free holidays in July and August, saving consumers from paying sales tax on certain school-related items.
Now, you may not save a ton of money by shopping during tax-free holidays. For example, if you bought $500 worth of clothes, shoes and school supplies during Florida’s tax-free weekend in a county where the sales tax is 6%, you would save about $30. But what parent wouldn’t want to save 30 bucks?
And if you use the tax-free holidays in conjunction with smart budgeting strategies and comparison shopping, you’ll save even more on your back-to-school supplies.
Some states’ tax-free holidays are held over a weekend, while others are a week long. Each state has different criteria for what merchandise won’t be taxed, and many states require the purchases to be under a certain price threshold.
And if you live in Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire or Oregon, every day is a holiday — those states don’t have a sales tax.
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Tax-Free Weekends: When, Where and What
The 17 states that have back-to-school tax-free holidays this year are Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Alabama
When: July 17-19
What is tax-free:
- Clothing and shoes – less than $156 per item.
- School supplies – less than $78 per item.
- Computers, software, computer supplies – less than $750.
- Textbooks – less than $47 per item.
Arkansas
When: August 1-2
What is tax-free:
- Certain electronics, school supplies, art supplies, instructional materials and clothing.
Connecticut
When: August 16-22
What is tax-free:
- Clothing and shoes — less than $100 per item.
Florida
When: July 20- August 20
What is tax-free:
- Computers and related equipment — $1,500 or less per item.
- Clothing, accessories and shoes — $100 or less per item.
- School supplies — $50 or less per item.
- Learning aids and puzzles — $30 or less per item
Iowa
When: August 7-8
What is tax-free:
- Clothing and shoes — less than $100 per item.
Maryland
When: August 9-15
What is tax-free:
- Clothing and shoes — $100 or less per item.
- Bookbags/backpacks — the first $40 is tax free.
Massachusetts
When: August 8-9
What is tax-free:
- Most consumer products — $2,500 or less per item.
- Clothing — Massachusetts does not charge any sales tax on clothes under $175 year-round.
Mississippi
When: July 10-12
What is tax-free:
- Clothing, shoes and school supplies — less than $100 per item.
Missouri
When: August 7-9
What is tax-free:
- Clothing and shoes — $100 or less per item.
- School supplies — $50 or less per purchase (exception: graphing calculators must be $150 or less).
- Computers and related equipment — $1,500 or less per item.
- Computer software — $350 or less.
New Mexico
When: July 31- August 2
What is tax-free:
- Clothing, accessories and shoes — less than $100 per item.
- School supplies — less than $30 per item.
- Computers — $1,000 or less per item.
- Computer hardware — $500 or less per item.
Ohio
When: August 7-9
What is tax-free:
- Clothing — less than $75 per item.
- School supplies and instructional materials — less than 20$ per item.
Oklahoma
When: August 7-9
What is tax-free:
- Clothing and shoes — less than $100 per item.
South Carolina
When: August 7-9
What is tax-free:
- Clothing, accessories and shoes — no price threshold.
- School supplies — no price threshold.
- Computers and related equipment — no price threshold.
Tennessee
When: July 31- August 2
What is tax-free:
- Clothing and shoes — $100 or less per item.
- School supplies — $100 or less per item.
- Computers — $1,500 or less per item.
Texas
When: August 7-9
What is tax-free:
- Clothing and shoes — less than $100 per item.
- School supplies and backpacks — less than $100 per item.
Virginia
When: August 7-9
What is tax-free:
- Clothing and footwear — less than $100 per item.
- School supplies — less and $20 per item.
West Virginia
When: July 31 – August 3
What is tax-free:
- Clothing and shoes – less than $125 per item.
- School supplies – less than $50 per item.
- Computers – less than $500 per item.
- School instruction material – less than $20 per item.
- Sports supplies – less than $150 per item.
Nicole Dow is a former senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. Senior writer Mike Brassfield contributed to this article.
