Many states have enacted legislation to make back-to-school and off-to-college shopping a little easier on families by giving them a break on paying sales taxes. Some states exempt you from sales taxes on clothing, shoes, and school supplies. Others allow exemptions on computers, other electronics, and sports equipment. One state exempts all TPP (tangible personal property), and one state is giving families a three-month tax holiday on “food and food ingredients” this year. Read on to find out if your state participates in Sales Tax Holidays, and what qualifies for tax exemption in each participating state.
Shop & Save on Specific Items During Sales Tax Holidays
To many teachers (even me!), seeing those back-to-school displays in stores in early July is very unwelcome. It’s just too soon!
But I get it! I’m a mom of three. When my now-adult kids were in school, I needed these items to be in stores early, so I could spread out the cost of back-to-school shopping over the summer. Back then, our state didn’t have a State Tax Holiday or a Tax-Free weekend.
If it had, I would have saved my money to take advantage of the savings! I would have braved the crowds caused by a tax-free weekend. Since I live in the Northeastern corner of the state, if the State Tax Holiday for the two bordering states were on a different weekend than the state in which I live, I probably would have even strategically shopped sales in those states as well.
| State | 2023 Dates | Items Included / Maximum Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | July 21-24 | clothing – $100 computers – $750 school supplies – $50 books – $30 |
| Arkansas | August 5-6 | clothing – $100 school supplies |
| Connecticut | August 20-26 | clothing and footwear – $100 |
| Florida | July 24-Aug 6 | school supplies – $50 clothing – $100 computers – $1,500 |
| Iowa | August 4-5 | clothing – $100 |
| Maryland | August 13-19 | clothing & footwear – $100 |
| Massachusetts | TBD | all TPP (tangible personal property) – up to $2,500 |
| Mississippi | July 28-29 | clothing & footwear – $100 |
| Missouri | August 4-6 | clothing – $100 computers – $1,500 school supplies – $50 |
| New Mexico | August 4-6 | clothing – $100 computers – $1,000 computer equipment – $500 school supplies – $30 |
| Ohio | August 4-6 | clothing – $75 school supplies – $20 |
| Oklahoma | August 4-6 | clothing – $100 |
| South Carolina | August 4-6 | clothing school supplies computers other |
| Tennessee | July 28-30 | clothing – $100 school supplies – $100 computers -$1,500 |
| Tennessee | August 1 – October 31 | Food and food ingredients |
| Texas | August 11-13 | clothing backpacks school supplies – $100 |
| West Virginia | August 4-7 | clothing – $125 school supplies – $20 sports equipment – $150 computer/tablet – $500 |
Skip the Stores – Not the Savings!
My kids were adults before I ever discovered the convenience of online shopping! However, I don’t think I would have realized that if you shop online, you still get the savings. The caveat is that you’re only exempt for the days that your state has specified, and only for the specific tax-exempt categories.
Online stores like, Amazon, Walmart, and Target are required to honor the Tax-Free Weekend. So, you can still save, without braving the Black-Friday-Like-Crowds that Tax-Free Weekends cause! With Amazon, you can even get free shipping on many items, if you’re a Prime Member. (If you’re not a Prime Member, click here to start your 30-Day Free Trial before shopping. You can always cancel later if you don’t love all of the perks of being a Prime Member.)
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Shop for More than Back-to-School or Back-to-College!
Now that my kids are grown, the best part about the Sales Tax Holiday is that I can save on some Christmas gifts for my grandkids! Clothes makes great gifts, especially for my teen and pre-teen granddaughters. School supplies often include stationary and art supplies, which my granddaughters love.
If you’re giving any of the items that qualify for the Sales Tax exemption, save by buying them during the Sales Tax Holiday, also known as the Tax-Free Weekend!
For this list, I will be focusing mostly on current and upcoming Back-to-School State Sales Tax Holidays, but you can click here for a more exhaustive list of 2023 State Sales Tax Holidays.
Save Even More!
I think we can all agree that saving 10% or more on purchases by being exempt from state sales tax on those items can add up to great savings. However, many stores are currently also having their annual back-to-school sales! As one of the biggest online retailers, Amazon is currently (as of July 19, 2023) offering up to 53% off some back-to-school essentials. Check out these amazing deals! If you live in one of the states mentioned above, be sure to make your back-to-school purchases during the Sales Tax Holiday dates determined by your state to save even more on these purchases!
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