Which states are having tax free weekends?
Connecticut and Massachusetts will have tax breaks later in August. Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, West Virginia already held tax holidays.
Back-to-school season is now well and truly upon us. For some lucky shoppers, sales tax holidays kicked off on Friday in eight states. Missouri, Iowa, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia and Taxas have all joined Florida, where a 10-day tax holiday started on July 31. Arkansas’ two-tax holiday starts on Saturday, August 7, and Maryland's tax-free week begins on Sunday.
Connecticut and Massachusetts will offer tax breaks later in the month of August. Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and West Virginia already held tax holidays over the summer.
Online shopping also is tax-free during the holidays, however, according to the Tax Foundation, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Alaska and Oregon don't have a sales tax.
Arkansas sales tax holiday
Dates: August 7-8
What’s tax-free:
Clothing and footwear: Less than $100
Clothing accessories or equipment: Less than $50
Electronic items such as cell phones, laptops and tablets will qualify as sales tax-exempt for the first time: No limit
Ohio
Dates: August 6-8
What’s tax-free:
Clothing: $75 or less
School supplies and instructional materials: $20 or less
Iowa tax free weekend
Dates: August 6-7
What’s tax-free: Clothing and footwear, less than $100
Florida tax free holiday
Dates: July 31-August 9
What's tax-free:
Clothing, footwear and accessories: $60 or less
School supplies: $15 or less
Computers and accessories: $1,000 or less per item
Maryland
Dates: August 8-14
What's tax-free: Clothing and footwear: $100 or less
Backpacks: The first $40 is tax-exempt
Missouri
Dates: August 6-8
What’s tax-free:
Clothing: Up to $100
School supplies: Not to exceed $50 per purchase
Computer software: Up to $350
Personal computers: Up to $1,500
Graphing calculators: Up to $150
Oklahoma tax free weekend
Dates: August 6-8
What’s tax-free: Clothing and footwear, less than $100
New Mexico tax free holiday
Dates: August 6-8
What’s tax-free:
Clothing and footwear: Less than $100
Computers: Under $1,000
Computer-related items: Under $500
School supplies: Less than $30
South Carolina tax free holiday
Dates: August 6-8
What’s tax-free:
Clothing: No limit, diapers also are included and athletic and uniforms for music and scouts are tax-exempt
School supplies: No limit, includes backpacks and art supplies for schools. Office supplies will still be taxed.
Computers, computer parts and accessories, printers, ink: No limit BUTcomputers used in a business are still taxed.
Books and musical instruments: Tax-free if “used for school assignments.”
Bed and bath: No limit, includes bedding, pillows and towels.
Texas tax free weekend 2021
What’s tax-free: Clothing and footwear: Less than $100
School supplies and backpacks: Less than $100
Virginia tax free days
Dates: August 6-8
What’s tax-free: Clothing and footwear: $100 or less
School supplies: $20 or less
Hurricane and emergency preparedness products: Portable generators up to $1,000; gas-powered chainsaws $350 or less; other specified hurricane preparedness items, $60 or less per item.
Upcoming sales tax holidays
Connecticut and Massachusetts start their tax holidays in mid-August.
Connecticut tax free week
Dates: August 15-21
What’s tax-free: Clothing and footwear, less than $100
Massachusetts sales tax holiday
Dates: August 14-15
What’s tax-free: Almost everything that costs up to $2,500. In Massachusetts, there is no sales tax on clothes less than $175 year-round.
In-store purchases
The Comptroller’s office is urging all taxpayers buying certain qualifying items at their local retailers this weekend to practice appropriate social distancing as described in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines during the sales tax holiday.