Do not miss these tax-free back-to-school gross sales if you wish to get monetary savings on provides.
It is back-to-school season, and fogeys in every single place are on the seek for the perfect offers to get their children prepared for the 2025 to 2026 college 12 months. With inflation making on a regular basis objects dearer than ever, timing your purchases throughout a gross sales tax vacation can maintain more cash in your pockets.
These tax-free purchasing occasions sometimes middle on back-to-school items, providing reductions on clothes, college provides, laptops and athletic gear.
This 12 months, 17 states are taking part in a tax-free occasion. Whereas a lot of them have already handed, buyers in Maryland, Florida and Connecticut nonetheless have time to attain some financial savings. Here is after they’re occurring and which objects shall be tax-free.
2025 back-to-school state gross sales tax holidays
| State | State gross sales tax | Tax-free dates |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 4% | July 18-20 |
| Arkansas | 6.50% | Aug. 2-3 |
| Connecticut | 6.35% | Aug 17-23 |
| Florida | 6% | Aug. 1-31 |
| Iowa | 6% | Aug. 1-2 |
| Maryland | 6% | Aug. 9-16 |
| Massachusetts | 6.25% | Aug. 9-10 |
| Mississippi | 7% | July 11-13 |
| Missouri | 4.23% | Aug. 1-3 |
| New Mexico | 5.13%* | July 25-27 |
| Ohio | 5.75% | Aug. 1-14 |
| Oklahoma | 4.50% | Aug. 1-3 |
| South Carolina | 6% | Aug. 1-3 |
| Tennessee | 7% | July 25-27 |
| Texas | 6.25% | Aug. 8-10 |
| Virginia | 4% | Aug. 1-3 |
| West Virginia | 6% | Aug. 1-4 |
State gross sales tax holidays in 2025
Dates: July 18-20, 2025
Tax-free objects:
Dates: Aug. 2-3, 2024
Tax-free objects
Dates: Aug. 17-23, 2025
Tax-free objects
Dates: Aug. 1-31, 2025
Tax-free objects
- Clothes, equipment and footwear: $100 or much less per merchandise.
- Faculty provides: $50 or much less per merchandise.
- Studying aids and jigsaw puzzles: $30 or much less per merchandise.
- Private computer systems and pc equipment: $1,500 or much less per merchandise.
- View the full list of items on the Florida Department of Revenue website.
Dates: Aug. 1-2, 2024
Tax-free objects
Dates: Aug. 11-17, 2024
Tax-free objects
Dates: Aug. 9-10, 2025
Tax-free objects
Dates: July 11-13, 2025
Tax-free objects
Dates: Aug. 1-3, 2025
Tax-free objects
- Clothes: $100 or much less per merchandise.
- Faculty provides: $50 or much less per merchandise.
- Laptop software program: $350 or much less per merchandise.
- Private computer systems and peripherals: $1,500 or much less per merchandise.
- Graphing calculators: $150 or much less per merchandise.
- View the full list of items on the Missouri Department of Revenue website.
Dates: July. 25-27, 2025
Tax-free objects
Dates: Aug. 1-14, 2025
Tax-free objects
- All retail objects bought for $500 or much less.
- Excluded objects embody automobiles, boats, vehicles, cigarettes, vapor merchandise, marijuana, alcohol and choose companies.
- View the full list of exceptions on the Ohio Department of Taxation website.
Dates: Aug. 1-3, 2025
Tax-free objects
Dates: Aug. 1-3, 2025
Tax-free objects
Dates: July 25-27, 2025
Tax-free objects
Dates: Aug. 8-10, 2025
Tax-free objects
Dates: Aug. 1-3, 2025
Tax-free objects
Dates: Aug. 1-4, 2025
Tax-free objects
- Clothes: $125 or much less per merchandise.
- Sure college provides: $50 or much less per merchandise.
- Faculty books and tutorial supplies: $20 or much less per merchandise.
- Laptop computer and tablets: $500 or much less per merchandise.
- Sports activities tools: $150 or much less per merchandise.
- View the full list of items on the West Virginia State Tax Department website.
States that do not cost any gross sales tax ever
There are 5 US states that do not have a statewide gross sales tax. You need to use the acronym NOMAD to recollect them.
- New Hampshire
- Oregon
- Montana
- Alaska*
- Delaware
*Alaska does levy native gross sales tax.
What’s a gross sales tax vacation?
A gross sales tax vacation, additionally known as a tax-free weekend or week, refers to a time period when sure eligible objects are exempt from gross sales tax. Some states maintain tax-free holidays yearly, and some even host a number of tax-free occasions all year long. Most states that take part in tax holidays maintain an occasion in the summertime that aligns with back-to-school purchasing. You may generally discover gross sales taxes paused on purchases like laptops, clothes, college provides and different equipment.
Are you able to get monetary savings throughout a tax vacation?
It can save you cash by avoiding gross sales tax throughout a tax vacation, notably in states with increased state gross sales tax charges, like Tennessee (7%), Mississippi (7%) and Arkansas (6.5%), or in states with excessive limitations, like Massachusetts (purchases as much as $2,500). Should you spent $2,000 on a pc in Massachusetts through the gross sales tax exemption, you can save $125 in gross sales tax.
Cities and counties might or might not exempt native gross sales taxes throughout these state tax holidays. In states with probably excessive native taxes, like Alabama, you will wish to verify along with your metropolis or county about native gross sales tax exemptions.
Regardless of the potential financial savings throughout gross sales tax holidays, you will wish to be sure to stick to a budget to keep away from overspending and do your analysis on back-to-school deals. Throughout gross sales, some shops might provide decrease costs on clothes, provides and computer systems than you may obtain by paying full value throughout a tax vacation.
State gross sales tax vacation FAQs
Do tax-free weekends embody on-line gross sales?
Sure, on-line purchases for state residents made throughout their gross sales tax vacation shall be tax free, even by means of giant on-line retailers like Amazon. Simply be sure to observe your state’s tips for qualifying objects. The time zone of the vendor will normally outline whether or not the sale is throughout the gross sales tax exemption interval.
What occurs if I purchase a qualifying merchandise that is over the greenback restrict?
Guidelines for gross sales tax holidays will range by state, however in most states the exemption is all or nothing. In case your merchandise prices greater than the restrict for the gross sales tax exemption, you will pay tax on your entire quantity (not simply the quantity over the restrict).
One notable exception is In Maryland — the primary $40 spent on a backpack is tax free, no matter its whole value. Should you have been to spend $60 on a backpack, you would be taxed just for $20. We suggest reviewing your state’s full merchandise checklist and guidelines to plan accordingly.
Is New Jersey holding a gross sales tax vacation this 12 months?
New Jersey used to take part in tax-free weekends for back-to-school objects. Nevertheless, its gross sales tax vacation was repealed in 2024. It won’t maintain a tax vacation this 12 months.
