With all the talk of inflation this summer, the idea of taking the annual trip to the store to load up on notebooks, new clothes, and even electronics as the back-to-school shopping season approaches may seem a bit daunting.
However, a number of states across the U.S. have sales tax holidays to help families save on back-to-school shopping. A tax holiday is a period of time where sales tax is waived, or reduced, on a specific category of items.
In most states, the back-to-school sales tax holidays last a few days in the summer and waive taxes on items like office supplies, clothing, computers, or books. For many, this could be a good strategy for dealing with inflation.
Here are the states and territories that offer back-to-school tax breaks and what items are included during these holidays.
Alabama
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When: July 15-17, 2022
What’s not taxed: Clothing up to $100, computers up to $750, school supplies up to $50 and books up to $30
Arkansas
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When: August 6-7, 2022
What’s not taxed: School supplies, electronic devices, clothing up to $100 per item, and clothing accessories (like handbags and watches) up to $50 per item
Connecticut
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When: August 21-27, 2022
What’s not taxed: Clothing and footwear up to $100 per item, excluding some items like accessories and athletic clothing
Florida
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When: July 25-August 7, 2022
What’s not taxed: School supplies up to $50, personal computers and computer accessories up to $1,500, learning aids up to $30, clothing (including footwear and some other accessories) up to $100 per item
Illinois
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When: August 5-14, 2022
What’s not taxed: The state will reduce taxes during this period by 5% (from 6.25% to 1.25%) on qualifying clothing up to $125 per item, footwear up to $125 per item, and school supplies
Iowa
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When: August 5-6, 2022
What’s not taxed: Clothing and footwear up to $100 per item
Maryland
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When: August 14-20, 2022
What’s not taxed: Clothing and footwear up to $100 per item and the first $40 of backpack/bookbag sales
Mississippi
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When: July 29-30, 2022
What’s not taxed: Clothing, footwear, and school supplies up to $100 per item
Missouri
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When: August 5-7, 2022
What’s not taxed: Clothing up to $100 per item, personal computers or devices for a computer up to $1,500, basic school supplies up to $50 per item, graphing calculators up to $150, and computer software up to $350
New Jersey
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When: August 27-September 5, 2022
What’s not taxed: School supplies and art supplies, instructional materials (like reference books, maps, and textbooks), computers, and computer supplies such as printers and storage equipment
New Mexico
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When: August 5-7, 2022
What’s not taxed: Clothing and footwear up to $100 per item, computers up to $1,000, computer hardware up to $500, and school supplies up to $30 per item
Ohio
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When: August 5-7, 2022
What’s not taxed: Clothing (which includes footwear) up to $75 per item, school supplies up to $20 per item, and school instructional materials (like reference books or textbooks) up to $20 per item
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Oklahoma
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When: August 5-7, 2022
What’s not taxed: All clothing and footwear up to $100 per item
Puerto Rico
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When: July 15-16, 2022
What’s not taxed: School uniforms or other clothing items (like shoes) that are worn with uniforms and schools supplies, including art and music supplies
South Carolina
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When: August 5-7, 2022
What’s not taxed: Clothing and accessories, footwear, school supplies, computers, software, printers, as well as certain bed and bath supplies (like blankets, sheets, and towels)
Tennessee
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When: July 29-31, 2022
What’s not taxed: Clothing up to $100 per item, school and art supplies up to $100 per item, and personal computers up to $1,500
Texas
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When: August 5-7, 2022
What’s not taxed: Most clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks up to $100 per item
Virginia
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When: August 5-7, 2022
What’s not taxed: Qualifying school supplies up to $20 per item, clothing and footwear up to $100 per item, as well as hurricane and emergency preparedness items (such as portable generators and gas-powered chainsaws), and Energy Star or Watersense products for home use
West Virginia
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When: August 5-8, 2022
What’s not taxed: Certain articles of clothing up to $125 per item, school supplies up to $50 per item, school instruction material up to $20 per item, laptop and tablet computers up to $500 per item, and some sports equipment up to $150 per item
States with no sales tax
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Five states across the U.S. — Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon — never charge sales tax, making them great shopping options if you’re looking to save money.
Several other states — including Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island — don’t tax most clothing items, making them solid options as well.
However, there are some other tax rules that apply. For example, New York will tax clothing purchases (at the 4% state tax rate) if an item costs more than $110.
Pro tip: Save even more and collect points and rewards when you buy your school supplies with the best rewards credit cards.
Bottom line
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A May survey from accounting firm KPMG found that parents planned to spend $268 on average per child during the back-to-school season this year. That’s up from $247 last year, with many parents blaming inflation for the jump.
However, if you live in a state that’s offering a tax holiday, or if you can get to one, saving a few cents on every dollar could really reduce your financial stress during this hectic shopping season.
Before you shop, be sure to check which items are included in your state’s tax holiday. For example, some states have different rules on exactly which items qualify as “clothing” or “accessories” purchases, so it’s helpful to know before you go.
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