With things more or less back to whatever now counts as normal, kids (and parents) are counting down the days until school restarts.
They’re also looking, especially with inflation bumping up prices, for ways to save on necessary school supplies, which a recent National Retail Federation (NRF) survey found are expected to be around $864 this year.
Sixteen states are offering ways to help their back-to-school shoppers. They’re offering state (and in some cases local) sales tax holidays in August.
Florida’s two-week back-to-school tax holiday began July 25 and continues through midnight Sunday, Aug. 7.
Eleven states — Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia — are holding their tax-free events on this weekend. Most of them kick off Friday, Aug. 5.
The other four — in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey — are scheduled for later in the month.
The table below has more details and links if you or your youngsters are in need clothing, shoes, school supplies, computer equipment, and more.
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August 2022 |
||
|
State & Sales Tax Rate |
Holiday Days |
Tax-Free Products |
|
Arkansas 6.5% |
Clothing $100 or less |
|
|
Connecticut 6.35% |
Clothing and footwear $100 or less |
|
|
Florida 6% |
Back to School |
Clothing $100 or less |
|
Illinois 6.25% |
The state’s portion of sales tax during the holiday is reduced by 5%, dropping to 1.25% on clothing and footwear selling for less than $125 per item. Certain student school supplies also face the reduced tax; there’s no price cap on eligible items. |
|
|
Iowa 6% |
Clothing and footwear priced at less than $100 |
|
|
Maryland 6% |
Clothing and footwear $100 or less |
|
|
Massachusetts 6.25% |
Almost every personal item |
|
|
Missouri 4.225% |
Friday, Aug. 5 |
Clothing $100 or less |
|
New Jersey 6.625% |
Computers less than $3,000 |
|
|
New Mexico 5% effective July 1, 2022 |
Friday, Aug. 5 |
Clothing or shoes $100 or less |
|
Ohio 5.75% |
Friday, Aug. 5 |
Clothing $75 or less |
|
Oklahoma 4.5% |
Friday, Aug. 5 |
Clothing, footwear $100 or less |
|
South Carolina 6% |
Friday, Aug. 5 |
No purchase price limit |
|
Texas 6.25% |
Friday, Aug. 5 |
Clothing, footwear, backpacks |
|
Virginia 5.3% |
Friday, Aug. 5 |
Clothing & footwear $100 or less |
|
West Virginia 6% |
Friday, Aug. 5 |
Clothing, footwear $125 or less |
Other non-school tax savings: If you have no children, or your kiddos have moved out, you still could benefit from a couple of states’ more unusual sales tax holidays this month.
Mississippi’s 7 percent sales tax won’t be collected during its tax holiday on firearms, ammunition, and certain hunting supplies. The Magnolia State’s tax-free Second Amendment Weekend is Friday, Aug. 26 through Sunday, Aug. 28.
Tennessee also is offering gun-related tax savings this month and beyond. The Volunteer State began waiving its 7 percent sales tax on gun safes and gun safety devices on July 1. The tax savings on the weapon safety items continues through June 30, 2023.
Tennessee also is suspending its usual 4% food tax on grocery sales. That tax break started showing up on market receipts on Aug. 1 and will continue through Aug. 31.
My original tax holidays post has the collective details on all these events, including the other state holidays that that have past, as well as the many other mostly-Florida events that extend into 2023 (and beyond).
You also might find these items of interest:
- Tax holidays are popular, but bad tax policy
- 6 shopping tips to maximize sales tax holiday savings
- City and other local taxes add to overall sales tax takes
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