Binders and pens and more, oh my! Just some of the school supplies that are tax-free during Texas’ August sales tax holiday. (Photo by Kay Bell)
The entry sign to my neighborhood lets us residents know that classes will be back in session in a couple of weeks.
It’s meant as a reminder that our streets soon will be busier. School buses will be on the roads. Youngsters will take over the sidewalks, bicycling or walking to the local elementary school, with cautious parents in cars following their semi-independent children’s comings and goings.
The notice also is a cue to get back-to-school shopping lists ready, especially if you live in one of the 13 states that’s holding a sales tax holiday in August.
Yes, Texas is one of them, but we are not first up on the calendar. Nine other states beat Lone Star State shoppers to the punch with sales tax holidays the first weekend of August.
The table below shows the coming August sales holidays. The states are listed alphabetically, and the linked dates and qualifying items will take you to state tax department websites for more information about the tax-exempt events.
August 2025 State Sales Tax Holidays
| State & Sales Tax Rate | Holiday Days & Dates | Tax-Free Products & Price Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas 6.5% | Saturday, Aug. 2 through Sunday, Aug. 3 | Clothing $100 or less; Accessories $50 or less; no dollar limit on school art supplies, instructional materials, and electronic devices. |
| Connecticut 6.35% | Sunday, Aug. 17 through Saturday, Aug. 23 | Clothing and footwear $100 or less; accessories and protective or athletic clothing still taxed. |
| Florida 6% | Friday, Aug. 1 through Sunday, Aug. 31 | Clothing $100 or less; school supplies $50 or less; learning aids $30 or less; computers $1,500 or less. |
| Iowa 6% | Friday, Aug. 1 through Saturday, Aug. 2 | Clothing and footwear priced under $100; see Alphabetical List of Items. |
| Maryland 6% | Sunday, Aug. 10 through Saturday, Aug. 16 | Clothing and footwear $100 or less; first $40 of a backpack or bookbag. |
| Massachusetts 6.25% | Saturday, Aug. 9 through Sunday, Aug. 10 | Most personal items priced at $2,500 or less. |
| Missouri 4.225% | Friday, Aug. 1 through Sunday, Aug. 3 | Clothing $100 or less; school supplies $50 or less; computer software $350 or less; Back-to-School FAQs. |
| Ohio 5.75% | Friday, Aug. 1 through Thursday, Aug. 14 | Most tangible personal property $500 or less, including electronics, clothes, supplies, and more. |
| Oklahoma 4.5% | Friday, Aug. 1 through Sunday, Aug. 3 | Clothing and footwear $100 or less. |
| South Carolina 6% | Friday, Aug. 1 through Sunday, Aug. 3 | No price limit on a variety of items including clothing, supplies, computers, and linens. |
| Texas 6.25% | Friday, Aug. 8 through Sunday, Aug. 10 | Clothing, footwear, backpacks under $100; school supplies under $100. |
| Virginia 5.3% | Friday, Aug. 1 through Sunday, Aug. 3 | School supplies $20 or less; clothing/footwear $100 or less; preparedness items and Energy Star products up to $2,500. |
| West Virginia 6% | Friday, Aug. 1 through Monday, Aug. 4 | Clothing $125 or less; school supplies $50 or less; laptops $500 or less; see Sales Tax Holiday Q&A. |
Shop wisely: While shoppers love tax holidays (who doesn’t want to get the best of the tax collector, especially legally?), the word tax is a dead giveaway that the events might not be that simple.
As with tax filing, dates matter. While an event might be advertised as a weekend tax holiday, it could be in effect on just Saturday and Sunday, or Friday could make it a long weekend. Make sure you know when the holiday applies.
Checking the tax holiday calendar is the first of 6 shopping tips to maximize sales tax holiday savings. Give it a look, then make your list.
You also can check my earlier post on events in July, which discusses why state lawmakers continue to authorize tax holidays despite their revenue costs and hassles for merchants.
You also might find these items of interest:
- Tax holidays are popular, but bad tax policy
- 5 sales-tax-free states are perfect places to shop year-round
- Axing Energy Star could end consumer savings (and some state sales tax holidays)
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