Back-to-School Tax Free Dates

Alabama July 21-23 Exemptions apply to clothing $100 or less per item; computers $750 or less; school supplies $50 or less per item; books $30 or less per book. These thresholds are per ITEM, not per cart. So, for example, that means you can load up your cart with more than $100 of clothing, and it’s all tax-free as long as each item is $100 or less.

• Some items are restricted, including gaming systems, handbags, helmets, sports clothing, and more.

Arkansas Aug. 5 at 12:01 A.M. – Aug. 6 at 11:59 P.M. Exemptions apply to clothing and footwear under $100 per item; accessories (including cosmetics) under $50 per item; select electronic devices (no price limit); select school supplies (no price limit); and school art supplies (no price limit).

• Some items are restricted, including costumes and clothing used for sports. But diapers and cosmetics are included in the tax-free weekend, making them smart items to stock up on. The electronics category has no price restrictions, like laptops and tablets. However, the electronics must be “devices commonly used by a student in the course of study”.
• If you use a store coupon to reduce the item’s price below the threshold — it’s now tax-free.

Connecticut August 20-26 Exemptions apply to sales or purchases of clothing or footwear costing less than $100 per item are not subject to Connecticut sales and use taxes during the exclusion week. This one-week exclusion applies to clothing sales made by Connecticut and out-of-state retailers to Connecticut customers.

• No rebates! Even if the rebate would push the price down below $100, that doesn’t count, because you receive that rebate later. However, immediate discounts (like coupons or promo codes) can be used to push the cost of the item below $100, making it tax-free.

Florida July 24 to Aug. 6  Exemptions includes clothing/footwear $100 or less per item; select school supplies $50 or less per item; learning aids and jigsaw puzzles $30 or less per item; personal computers $1,500 or less (for noncommercial use only).

• If you use layaway or a buy now, pay later service, you can still get your stuff tax-free if you ship your order during the sales tax holiday OR place an item on layaway during the sales tax holiday.

Iowa Aug. 4 at 12:01 A.M. – Aug. 5 at 11:59 P.M. Exemptions apply to purchases clothing or footwear selling for less than $100 (per item) is not taxed over the weekend.

• Note that backpacks are still taxable, as they don’t count as clothing. If you’re unsure of which items “count” as clothing, see the checklist.

Maryland Aug. 13 at 12:01 a.m. – Aug. 19 at midnight Exemptions apply to clothing and footwear priced $100 or less; the first $40 of backpack or bookbag.

• Shopping online? As long as your eligible item is paid for and the retailer accepts your order during the tax-free holiday immediately, you’ll pay no taxes.

Massachusetts Aug. 12 and 13 Exemptions apply to most retail goods for personal use priced at $2,500 or less, except motor vehicles, motorboats, meals, telecommunication services, gas, steam, electricity, tobacco products, marijuana, and marijuana products.

• If you spend more than $2,500 per item, you’ll need to pay tax on the whole amount. But clothing is a (slight) exception: In the state of Massachusetts, the first $175 of an item of clothing is tax-exempt anyway. So, if a piece of clothing you purchase during Massachusetts Tax-Free Weekend is more than $2,500, the first $175 is not taxable.

Mississippi July 28 at 12:01 a.m. –July 29 at Midnight Exemptions apply to purchases of clothing, school supplies, and footwear costing less than $100 per item. Excludes backpacks.

• See the full list of tax-free and taxable items: HERE. In Mississippi, layaway does not qualify for the tax-free holiday. Unlike in some other states, shipping costs for online orders are not included in the sales price, meaning they won’t bump up an item outside of tax-free status.

Missouri Aug. 4 at 12:01 a.m. – Aug. 6 at Midnight Exemptions any article of clothing, including footwear, with a taxable value of $100 or less; school supplies not to exceed $50 per purchase; graphing calculators not to exceed $150; computer software with a taxable value of $350 or less; and personal computers less than $1,500.

• See exemptions here. Also, note that in Missouri, some counties and cities can elect not to participate in the tax-free holiday.

New Jersey Aug. 26 through Sept. 4 Exemptions apply to purchases of computers with a sales price of under $3,000; computer supplies with a sales price of less than $1,000; art supplies, instruction materials, school supplies, and sport/recreational equipment with no threshold.

• Computer supplies include computer storage media, personal digital assistance (not phones), printer supplies, printers and more.

New Mexico Aug. 4 at 12:01 a.m. to Aug. 6 at Midnight. Exemptions apply to purchases of clothing or shoes priced at less than $100 per item; computers priced at up to $1,000; related computer hardware up to $500; and school supplies for under $30.

• Note that retailers are not required to participate in New Mexico’s tax-free weekend, so ask before you shop. Check out a full list of exceptions here.

Ohio Aug. 4 at 12:01 a.m. – Aug. 6 at Midnight Exemptions apply to purchases of clothing priced at $75 per item or less, school supplies or school instructional material priced at $20 per item or less and instructional materials less than $20 per item.

• Most accessories are excluded from tax-free weekend, including hats and jewelry.

Oklahoma Aug. 4–Aug. 6 Exemptions apply to purchases of clothing and footwear priced under $100.

• Accessories, athletic footwear and protective gear are excluded.

South Carolina August 4-6 Exemptions apply to purchases of clothing, accessories, footwear, school supplies, computers, software, printers, and bed & bath supplies.

• The South Carolina Tax-Free weekend is unique in that it has no dollar limits on eligible purchases. The bed and bath category (unique to the state) includes bath mats, bedding, towels, shower curtains, mattress pads, blankets, and more — see a full list.

Tennessee 

1. Back-to-School (July 29-31): Clothing and school supplies that cost $100 or less per item; and computers that are $1,500 or less.
2. Groceries (Aug. 1-Oct. 31): For three months, Tennessee residents pay no sales tax on food and food ingredients.

• For the back-to-school tax-free weekend, accessories and bags are excluded. Meanwhile, printer supplies, software and flash drives are excluded from the “computers” category.

Texas August 11-13 Exemptions apply to most clothing, footwear, school supplies, swimwear and backpacks priced at $100 or less and are free from sales and use taxes.

West Virginia Aug. 4 at 12 A.M. to Aug. 7 at 11:59 P.M. Exemptions apply to purchases of clothing with a price of $125 or less; school supplies priced $50 or less; school instruction material priced $20 or less; laptops and tablets priced $500 or less; sports equipment priced $150 or less.

For more back-to-school content on Mami of Multiples, visit http://bit.ly/mombts

Happy Shopping!