Store shelves, like these at my local H-E-B grocery, are filled with back-to-school supplies that are tax-free during Texas’ annual sales tax holiday each August. The Lone Star State is just one of 16 where such tax-free events are happening in the coming days. (Photo by Kay Bell)
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Students soon will be back in class. That means August is prime back-to-school sales tax holiday season. Three states wrap up July and welcome next month with tax-free events. Another continues exempting certain items from sales tax well into the coming month. And sales tax holidays in 12 states begin and end in August 2026.
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Do you hear that? It’s parents counting down the days until schools re-open.
They also are marking their calendars in several states across the country where school supplies and more are among the tax-free items on sale this month.
Three states’ tax-free shopping periods close out July and run into August’s first weekend. Florida’s tax holiday goes through Aug. 20. And 12 states launch their annual sales tax holidays this August.
Higher prices could increase tax holiday traffic: Tax holidays, which range from a couple of days to a week or more or, in Florida’s case, a month, typically shift shopping patterns rather than bringing retailers new business. However, this year there could be more shoppers.
Economic forecasters say gas, groceries and back-to-school items are likely to reflect the higher oil prices we’re seeing due to the continuing war with Iran. That means consumers will be looking for bargains anywhere they can find them.
During the special shopping periods, certain items are exempt from the states’ and, in many cases, local jurisdictions’ sales taxes, or the tax rate is reduced. So, the tax holidays will allow shoppers in the various participating jurisdictions the opportunity to save a few (or more) dollars that normally would cover sales taxes.
Even better, although the tax-free shopping days typically are promoted as ways to save on classroom supplies and clothing that youngsters will need when school resumes in the fall, the eligible purchases aren’t necessarily limited to student-specific items.
The table below shows the upcoming August 2026 tax holidays, leading with those that technically begin (or began) in July. After those four events, the August tax holidays are listed alphabetically by state. The links for each holiday will take you to state tax department websites for more information.
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| August 2026 State Sales Taxes Holidays Leading off with four end-of-July/early-August tax-free events | ||
| State & Sales Tax Rate Local sales taxes also may be waived | Holiday Days & Dates | Tax-Free Products & Per-Item Price Limits |
| New Mexico 4.875% | Friday, July 31 through Sunday, Aug. 2 | Clothing or shoes $100 or less Computers $1,000 or less, with hardware $500 or less School supplies that students use “in standard, general-education classrooms must be under $30 per unit.” FYI-203, Gross Receipts Tax Holiday, contains more information on the exempted sales. |
| Tennessee 7% | Friday, July 31 through Sunday, Aug. 2 | Clothing and school supplies $100 or less per item Computers $1,500 or less |
| West Virginia 6% | Friday, July 31 through Monday, Aug. 3 | Clothing, footwear $125 or less. School supplies $50 or less. School instruction material $20 or less. Sports equipment $150 or less. Laptop and tablet computers $500 or less. More on tax-exempt items can be found on the state’s Sales Tax Holiday Questions and Answers page. |
| Florida 6% | Continuing through Thursday, Aug. 20 | Clothing $100 or less School supplies $50 or less Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles selling for $30 or less Computers, certain accessories $1,500 or less More on tax-exempt items during the 2025 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday can be found in the event’s frequently asked questions webpage under the Consumers tab. |
| August-Only 2026 State Sales Taxes Holidays | ||
| Arkansas 6.5% | Saturday, Aug. 8 through Sunday, Aug. 9 | Clothing less than $100 Accessories less than $50 No dollar limit on school art supplies, school instructional materials, school supplies, and school-related products such as electronic devices, which includes computers, commonly used by a student in a course of study. |
| Connecticut 6.35% | Sunday, Aug. 16 through Saturday, Aug. 22 | Clothing and footwear $300 or less The tax-exempt list also is expanded this year to include backpacks and cleated shoes. |
| Illinois 6.25% | Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 16 | Prairie State shoppers will see the state’s sales tax reduced by 5% (dropping to 1.25%) on certain clothing and footwear with a retail selling price of less than $125 per item and certain school supplies used by students in the course of study. School supplies are not subject to the $125 threshold. |
| Iowa 6% | Friday, Aug. 7 through Saturday, Aug. 8 | Clothing and footwear priced at less than $100; list of tax-exempt items is on page 2 of Iowa Sales Tax Holiday Alphabetical List of Representative Items |
| Maryland 6% | Sunday, Aug. 9 through Saturday, Aug. 15 | Clothing and footwear $100 or less First $40 of a backpack or book bag |
| Massachusetts 6.25% | Saturday, Aug. 8 through Sunday, Aug. 9 | Almost every personal item priced at $2,500 or less |
| Missouri 4.225% | Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 9 | Clothing $100 or less School supplies $50 or less Computer software $350 or less Graphing calculators $150 or less Personal computers & peripheral devices $1,500 or less Find more on the tax-exempt items in the state’s Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday FAQs. |
| Ohio 5.75% | Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 9 | The Buckeye State’s sales tax exemption will apply to all items of clothing priced at $75 or less, school supplies priced at $20 or less, and school instructional materials priced at $20 or less. |
| Oklahoma 4.5% | Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 9 | Clothing, footwear $100 or less |
| South Carolina 6% | Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 9 | No purchase price limit on a variety of items, including clothing accessories & footwear; school supplies; computers, printers and printer supplies, computer software; and bed linens and bath furnishings |
| Texas 6.25% | Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 9 | Clothing, footwear, backpacks priced at less than $100. School supplies at less than $100 |
| Virginia 5.3%* *4.3% state + mandatory 1% statewide local add-on for most jurisdictions | Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 9 | School supplies $20 or less. Clothing/footwear $100 or less. Hurricane/emergency items, including portable generators $1,000 or less; gas-powered chainsaws $350 or less; chainsaw accessories and other specified preparedness items $60 or less. Energy Star™ and WaterSense™ products for home or personal use $2,500 or less per item. |
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Shop wisely: Your state is holding a sales tax holiday and you’re raring to go. That’s understandable. Most shoppers love tax holidays, and who doesn’t want to get the best of the tax collector, especially legally?
But the word tax is a dead giveaway that the events might not be that simple.
Take, for example, the events’ time frames. Dates, like deadlines we face when we file our taxes, also matter during tax holidays.
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. Or Friday and Saturday if your state discourages shopping on what is the sabbath for some.
Make sure you know when the holiday applies. If you arrive a day late, you lose your tax savings.
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. That’s also one of the tax holiday shopping suggestions.
Then it’s time to hit the stores!
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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