Summer is winding down, and it’s almost time for back-to-school shopping. If your state offers a sales tax holiday — fewer than 20 states do this year — you might be able to give your wallet a bit of a break. And that’s true whether or not you have children: These sales-tax holidays can be a good time to buy new clothes, a computer or other items.
Sales tax holidays: How they work
Many states offer their sales tax holidays in August, though some are in July. Most states limit the types of items that are eligible for the sales tax holiday — clothing is the most common qualified purchase — and they usually put a dollar limit on how much of the purchase will be tax-free.
But many states let you buy multiple items tax-free, as long as each of those purchases is below the state’s limit. For example, a common dollar limit is $100 for tax-free purchases. Many states will let you purchase, say, two coats — each of which costs $80 — and still enjoy a completely tax-free purchase even though the total is $160. Often, online purchases are included in the sales-tax holiday.
Learn more: These 5 states don’t have a sales tax
Still, the rules for sales tax holidays vary widely. For example, Massachusetts’ tax-free holiday has few limitations, letting you buy a broad variety of personal items tax-free, as long as each item costs $2,500 or less.
South Carolina places no dollar limit on a variety of purchases. Virginia imposes different dollar limits depending on the type of item — but goes beyond back-to-school products to include disaster-preparedness purchases, such as portable generators.
Be sure to check the tax department website, included for each state below, to confirm the details. That way, you can know what to expect and maximize your savings when it’s time to shop. (Here’s more on how sales taxes work.)
Learn more: These 9 states don’t have income tax — that doesn’t always mean you’ll save money
State-by-state: Sales tax holiday details
Click on each state below to see the dates for that state’s sales tax holiday in 2025, and an overview of which purchases qualify:
Alabama
Sales tax holiday: July 18-20
Clothing and accessories: $100 or less per item
School and art supplies: $50 or less per item
Computers, printers and printer supplies: $750 or less per item
Textbooks: $30 or less per item
Alabama’s tax holiday website.
Arkansas
Sales tax holiday: Aug. 2-3
Clothing: Less than $100 per item
Accessories: Less than $50 per item
School supplies and art supplies: No dollar limit
Instructional materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, maps: No dollar limit
Arkansas’ tax holiday website.
Connecticut
Sales tax holiday: Aug. 17-23
Clothing and footwear: Less than $100 per item
Connecticut’s tax holiday website.
Florida
Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-31
Clothing, footwear and accessories: $100 or less per item
School supplies: $50 or less per item
Computers and accessories: $1,500 or less per item
Learning aids: $30 or less per item
Florida’s tax holiday website.
Iowa
Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-2
Clothing and footwear: Less than $100 per item
Iowa’s tax holiday website.
Maryland
Sales tax holiday: Aug. 10-16
Clothing and footwear: $100 or less per item
Backpacks/bookbags: The first $40 is tax-free
Maryland’s tax holiday website.
Massachusetts
Sales tax holiday: Aug. 9-10
Items of tangible personal property: $2,500 or less per item
Massachusetts’ tax holiday website.
Mississippi
Sales tax holiday: July 11-13
Clothing, footwear and school supplies: Less than $100 per item
Mississippi’s tax holiday website.
Missouri
Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-3
School supplies: $50 or less
Computers: $1,500 or less
Computer software: $350 or less
Clothing: $100 or less
Graphing calculators: $150 or less
Missouri’s tax holiday website.
New Mexico
Sales tax holiday: July 25-27
Clothing, shoes and accessories: Less than $100 per article
Computers: $1,000 or less per item
Related computer hardware: $500 or less per item
School supplies (notebooks, paper, pens, pencils, crayons, art supplies, staples, staplers, scissors and rulers): Less than $30 per item
New Mexico’s tax holiday website.
Ohio
Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-14
Almost all tangible personal items: $500 or less
Ohio’s tax holiday website.
Oklahoma
Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-3
Clothing and footwear: Less than $100 per item
Oklahoma’s tax holiday website.
South Carolina
Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-3
Clothing, accessories, shoes, school supplies, backpacks, computers, printers and printer supplies, computer software, bed linens and bath accessories: No price limits for tax exemption
South Carolina’s tax holiday website.
Tennessee
Sales tax holiday: July 25-27
Clothing and footwear: $100 or less per article
School and art supplies: $100 or less per item
Computers: $1,500 or less per item
Tennessee’s tax holiday website.
Texas
Sales tax holiday: Aug. 8-10
Clothing and footwear: Less than $100
School supplies and backpacks: Less than $100
Texas’ tax holiday website.
Virginia
Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-3
Clothing and footwear: $100 or less per item
School supplies: $20 or less per item
Virginia also includes disaster-preparedness and energy efficient home purchases in its sales tax holiday:
Portable generators: $1,000 or less per item
Gas-powered chainsaws: $350 or less per item
Chainsaw accessories: $60 or less per item
Other specified hurricane preparedness items: $60 or less per item
Energy Star™ and WaterSense™ products purchased for noncommercial home or personal use: $2,500 or less per item
Virginia’s tax holiday website.
West Virginia
Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-4
Clothing: $125 or less
Computers: $500 or less
School instruction material: $20 or less
School supplies: $50 or less
Sports equipment: $150 or less
West Virginia’s tax holiday website.
Learn more: State income and other tax rates: Check your state’s rates
Other state tax holidays
Some states offer sales tax holidays for specific locales or groups:
Alaska: The state doesn’t charge a state sales tax, but local areas do. One such municipality — the Skagway Borough — offered a sales tax holiday from Oct. 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025.
Louisiana: On the first full weekend each September, the state offers a tax-free holiday on guns, ammunition and some hunting supplies.
Nevada: From Oct. 31 through Nov. 2, the state offers a sales tax holiday for National Guard members and their families.
Learn more: Current federal tax brackets and income tax rates
