Team Clark is adamant that we will never write content influenced by or paid for by an advertiser. To support our work, we do make money from some links to companies and deals on our site. Learn more about our guarantee here.
If you’ve got school-age children, you know it’s no small expense to get them ready for class with supplies, clothing, and other necessities.
Fortunately, 17 states will offer tax-free holidays this year just in time for back-to-school shopping.
Here’s a look at which states are doing it and what the limits are.
RELATED: Price-matching policies: What Walmart, Target, others will do if you find a better deal
If your state does have a tax-free weekend coming up, we’ve got the details below thanks to TaxJar.com.
Reminder: The dollar value limits are usually for individual items, not the total purchase.
‘ Clothing ($100)
‘ Computers ($750)
‘ School Supplies ($50)
‘ Books ($30)
Dates: 7/20 ‘ 7/22
Read more: Alabama’s sales tax holiday
‘ Clothing ($100)
‘ School Supplies ($50)
‘ Clothing Accessory or Equipment ($50)
Dates: 8/4 ‘ 8/5
Read more: Arkansas’ sales tax holiday
‘ Clothing and Footwear* ($300)
* Excludes athletic or protective clothing or footwear, jewelry, handbags, luggage, umbrellas, wallets, watches and “similar items”
Dates: 8/19 ‘ 8/25
Read more: Connecticut’s sales tax holiday
‘ School Supplies ($15)
‘ Clothing and Footwear ($60)
Dates: 8/3 ‘ 8/5
Read more: Florida’s sales tax holiday
‘ Clothing and Footwear ($100)
Dates: 8/3 ‘ 8/4
Read more: Iowa’s sales tax holiday
‘ Tangible Personal Property ($2,500)
Dates: 8/3 ‘ 8/4
*Louisiana’s sales tax is reduced from 5% to 3% during this period.
Read more: Louisiana’s sales tax holiday
‘ Clothing & Footwear ($100)
‘ Backpack or bookbag ($40)
Dates: 8/12 ‘ 8/18
Read more: Maryland’s sales tax holiday
‘ Clothing & Footwear ($100)
Dates: 7/28 ‘ 7/28
Read more: Mississippi’s sales tax holiday
‘ Clothing ($100)
‘ Computers ($1,500), software ($350), peripheral devices ($1,500)
‘ School Supplies ($50)
Dates: 8/3 ‘ 8/5
Read more: Missouri’s sales tax holiday
‘ Clothing and footwear ($100)
‘ Computers ($1,000)
‘ Computer Equipment ($500)
‘ School Supplies ($30)
Dates: 8/3 ‘ 8/5
Read more: New Mexico’s sales tax holiday
‘ Clothing ($75)
‘ School Supplies ($20)
‘ School Instruction Material ($20)
Dates: 8/3 ‘ 8/5
Read more: Ohio’s sales tax holiday
‘ Clothing ($100)
Dates: 8/3 ‘ 8/5
Read more: Oklahoma’s sales tax holiday
‘ Clothing (no limit)
‘ School Supplies (no limit)
‘ Computers (no limit)
‘ Other (no limit)
Dates: 8/3 ‘ 8/5
Read more: South Carolina’s sales tax holiday
‘ Clothing ($100)
‘ School Supplies ($100)
‘ Computers ($1,500)
Dates: 7/27 ‘ 7/29
Read more: Tennessee’s sales tax holiday
‘ Clothing, Backpacks and School Supplies ($100)
Dates: 8/10 – 8/12
Read more: Texas’ sales tax holiday
‘ Clothing ($100)
‘ School Supplies ($20)
Dates: 8/3 ‘ 8/5
Read more: Virginia’s sales tax holiday
‘ Clothing ($75)
‘ School Supplies ($75)
‘ Computers ($750)
‘ Computer Equipment ($250)
Dates: 8/1 ‘ 8/5
Read more: Wisconsin’s sales tax holiday
The following states aren’t offering a sales tax holiday this year. Of course, this list is subject to change:
Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia (Washington D.C.), Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
You’ll note that for the second year in a row, money expert Clark Howard’s home state of Georgia won’t have a tax-free weekend for back-to-school shoppers. Yet the consumer champ isn’t upset about it.
Why? Because Clark says some retailers would plan their ads around the holiday and deliberately raise their prices.
Clark says that if you want to save the most money as you’re getting your kids ready for a return to the classroom, you’ve got to go about it differently. His key advice is don’t be loyal to any one store. Go wherever the deal is. And don’t deviate from your shopping list with unnecessary purchases.
Meanwhile, if you want to know which stores have the best deals this year, we’ve got you covered over at our sister site ClarkDeals.com!
This post was last modified on July 12, 2018 10:46 pm
Clark Howard has advised consumers to avoid paying with debit cards for years. His reasoning…
If you own a home or a condo, hopefully you don't have to worry about…
Being invited to a destination wedding can be a celebratory affair for all involved, but…
Are you looking for a good cash back credit card with no annual fee? The…
A 401(k) plan is one of the best benefits you can receive as a full-time…
A recent warning from the federal authorities cautions drivers to be on the lookout for…