2016-07-02



2016 Tax Free Back to School Shopping Holiday / Weekend

One way that some states help families save money during back to school shopping is to offer sales tax holidays.  This helps families save on things they need  for their kids like supplies, clothes and even electronics.

Many states suspend the collection of state, county or local sales tax for a few days each summer.  This can help families keep a bit more money in their own pockets when getting the items your child needs for school.

If you do plan on shopping on any of these dates, keep in mind that the stores will be very, very busy.  It can be a scene similar to Black Friday when it comes to the number of people who shop.  You have to decide if you want to deal with it or not by determining the savings.

For example, if sales tax is 10% where you live and you spend $600, you can save a total of $60.  For some, it is not worth the chaos of shopping with that number of people. For others, it is well worth it.  Only you can decide what works for you.

Below, you will find a sales tax map. To find out if your state participates, simply place your mouse on it.  If the pointer shape changes then you are in luck!  Your state participates and you can click to go directly to that states’s details including included and excluded items as well as the dates when the sales tax holiday will be offered.



You can also find a list of participating states below, along with some of the details you will need to know:

State

Dates

Details

State Links

Alabama

August 5 - August 7, 2016

Clothing under $100

School supplies under $50

Books under $30

Computers/computer equipment under $750

Alabama Sales Tax Holiday Details

Arkansas

August 6 - August 7, 2016

Clothing and footwear (priced at less than $100 per item)

Accessories (priced at less than $50 per item)

School supplies

Arkansas Sales Tax Holiday Details

Connecticut

August 21 - August 27, 2016

Clothing under $100 per item

Shoes under $100 per item

Connecticuit Sales Tax Holiday Details

Florida

August 5 - August 7, 2016

Clothing, footwear, wallets and bags ($60 or less)

School supplies ($15 or less)

Computers no longer included

Florida Sales Tax Holiday Details

Georgia

July 30 - July 31, 2016

School Supplies, up to $20

Clothing, up to $100

Computers, up to $1000

Georgia Sales Tax Holiday

Iowa

August 5 - August 6, 2016

Clothing under $100

Shoes under $100

Iowa Sales Tax Holiday Details

Louisiana

August 5 - August 6, 2016

Purchases under $2,500

Louisiana Sales Tax Holiday Details

Maryland

August 14 - August 20, 2016

Clothing priced at $100 or less

Footwear priced at $100 or less

Maryland Sales Tax Holiday Details

Mississippi

July 29 - July 30, 2016

Clothing under $100

Shoes under $100

Mississippi Sales Tax Holiday Details

Missouri

August 5 - August 7, 2016

Clothing under $100

School supplies under $50

Computer software under $350

Computers/computer equipment under $3,500

Missouri Sales Tax Holiday DetailsåÊ

New Mexico

August 5 - August 7, 2016

Clothing up to $100

Computers up to $1,000

School supplies up to $30

New Mexico Sales Tax Holiday Details

Ohio

August 5 - August 7, 2016

Clothing up to $75

Instructional Materials up to $20

School supplies up to $20

Ohio Sales Tax Holiday Details

Oklahoma

August 5 - August 7, 2016

Clothing up to $100

Oklahoma Sales Tax Holiday Details

South Carolina

August 5 - August 7, 2016

Clothing

School supplies

Computers

South Carolina Sales Tax Holiday Details

Tennessee

July 29 - July 31, 2016

Clothing up to $100

School supplies up to $100

Computers up to $1,500

Tennessee Sales Tax Holiday Details

Texas

August 5 - August 7, 2016

Clothing, backpacks and school supplies up to $100

Texas Sales Tax Holiday Details

Virginia

August 5 - August 7, 2016

Clothing up to $100

School Supplies up to $20

Virginia Sales Tax Holiday Details

*These states have not yet released details, but have participated in the past.  The dates listed are based upon the same weekend/week from the prior year, but have not yet been confirmed. Please check back with your state to find out more details.

2016 Back to School Tax Free Shopping Days

Related posts:

Paying For College: Beyond the Basics — Books, Laptops and More!

Five Easy Tips to Save Money on Back to School Shopping!

Budgeting For College: What To Know BEFORE You Pay The Bursar

Show more