Tax-Free Weekends by State: 2026 Dates
Twenty states hold a sales tax holiday in 2026, according to the Tax Foundation’s annual roundup, and most of the back-to-school ones land between mid-July and late August. The dates below come from the Federation of Tax Administrators’ 2026 sales tax holiday list, cross-checked against the Tax Foundation’s — but confirm with your own state’s department of revenue before you shop, because legislatures move these dates and price caps most years. Below: the state-by-state dates, what’s actually exempt, and the honest math on whether a tax-free weekend is worth planning your August around.
2026 back-to-school tax-free weekend dates
| State | 2026 dates | Roughly what’s covered |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | Jul 10–12 (passed) | Clothing, footwear, school supplies under $100/item |
| Alabama | Jul 17–19 (passed) | Clothing, computers, school supplies, books — caps set by state |
| Florida | Jul 20 – Aug 20 | Supplies to $50, clothing to $100, computers to $1,500, learning aids to $30 |
| New Mexico | Jul 31 – Aug 2 | Clothing under $100, supplies to $30, computers to $1,000 |
| Tennessee | Jul 31 – Aug 2 | Clothing and supplies to $100/item, computers to $1,500 |
| West Virginia | Jul 31 – Aug 3 | Clothing to $125, supplies to $50, computers to $500, sports equipment to $150 |
| Arkansas | Aug 1–2 | Clothing under $100, accessories under $50, school and art supplies |
| Iowa | Aug 7–8 | Clothing and footwear under $100/item |
| Missouri | Aug 7–9 | Clothing to $100, supplies to $50, computers to $1,500 |
| Ohio | Aug 7–9 | Clothing to $75/item, school supplies to $20/item |
| Oklahoma | Aug 7–9 | Clothing and footwear under $100/item |
| South Carolina | Aug 7–9 | Clothing, footwear, supplies, computers — no price cap |
| Texas | Aug 7–9 | Clothing, shoes, backpacks, school supplies under $100 each |
| Virginia | Aug 7–9 | Supplies to $20, clothing to $100, plus Energy Star and hurricane items |
| Illinois | Aug 7–16 | Clothing and footwear under $125, school and art supplies |
| Massachusetts | Aug 8–9 | Most tangible personal property to $2,500/item |
| Maryland | Aug 9–15 | Clothing and footwear to $100/item; first $40 of a backpack |
| Connecticut | Aug 16–22 | Clothing and footwear under $300/item |
A few states run additional non-school holidays — Louisiana and Mississippi hold hunting-supply weekends, Texas runs emergency-prep and Energy Star weekends in spring, Maryland and Missouri run energy-efficiency events, and Nevada holds a National Guard exemption period.
Not on the list? Five states — Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon — have no statewide sales tax at all, so there’s nothing to hold a holiday from. Everyone else either never adopted one or has repealed it.
How the price caps actually work
The caps are the part that trips people up, and they work differently than most shoppers assume:
- The cap is per item, not per cart. A $70 pair of shoes and a $70 jacket are both exempt in a $75-cap state. One $150 coat is not.
- Blowing the cap usually taxes the whole item, not the excess. In most states an $80 item in a $75-cap state is fully taxable — you don’t get the first $75 tax free. Maryland’s backpack rule (first $40 exempt) is a deliberate exception, which is exactly why you check your own state’s page.
- Coupons and discounts can change the math. A manufacturer’s coupon typically doesn’t reduce the taxable price; a store discount usually does — which can drop an item back under the cap. State rules differ.
- Layaway, shipping, and delivery have their own rules. Online orders generally qualify if you order and pay during the holiday window, but shipping charges may count toward the item price.
- Local taxes sometimes still apply. In a few states cities or counties can opt out, so “tax free” means state-tax free.
For the fine print that matters to your cart, search your state’s department of revenue site for “sales tax holiday” and read the item list — it’s a legal document, not marketing, and it’s the only source that binds a cashier.
Is it actually worth it?
Honest answer: it’s a modest discount, not a windfall. On a $300 back-to-school haul in a state with a 6% sales tax, you’re saving roughly $18 — real money on one income, and roughly what you’d lose by driving 40 minutes each way to a bigger store. The Tax Foundation, which publishes the dates above, is openly critical of these holidays for exactly this reason: it argues they distort when people shop far more than they change what people pay, and that retailers can quietly shave discounts during the window.
So treat it as a timing tool, not a savings strategy:
- Worth planning around if you were buying a laptop, a winter coat, or a big multi-kid clothing refresh anyway, and your state exempts computers. Percentage savings scale with the receipt.
- Not worth planning around if it means buying things you don’t need, driving a long way, or paying full price on items that go 40% off in September. A tax holiday saves single digits; a clearance rack saves double.
- Watch the cap-shaped upsell. A $95 backpack in a $100-cap state is not a deal because it’s exempt. This is cost-per-use math territory: price per year of use beats price per receipt every time.
A sane shopping plan for the weekend itself
- Shop your house first. Last year’s supplies, outgrown-by-a-sibling clothes, and the bin of unopened notebooks. The cheapest item is the one you already own.
- Buy from the school’s list, not the store’s display. Teacher lists are specific; endcaps are not.
- Split the list with your co-parent in writing before the weekend, so you don’t both buy sneakers. Ten minutes of coordination saves a duplicate haul.
- Go online or go early. Online ordering during the window usually qualifies and costs zero minutes in a checkout line with two tired kids.
- Buy clothes one size up only for staples. Growth is unpredictable; a size-up coat is a good bet, a size-up pair of jeans in a fast-growing year is a gamble.
- Fold the total into the month’s plan before you go, the same way a big grocery week gets planned against weekly slot budgeting. A tax-free weekend that blows the August budget wasn’t free.
If school costs are genuinely out of reach this year, ask the school directly — most districts have supply assistance, fee waivers, and coat and shoe programs that are quietly available and rarely advertised. Start with the school counselor or the district’s family-resource office.
FAQ: 2026 tax-free weekends
Does a tax-free weekend apply to online orders?
Usually yes, if you place and pay for the order during the holiday window and the item ships to an address in that state. Some states also count orders placed earlier but delivered during the window. Check your state’s rules — this is the single most common point of confusion, and retailers apply the exemption automatically at checkout when it qualifies.
Do computers and laptops qualify?
Only in some states, and the caps vary a lot — Florida, Missouri, and Tennessee include computers at higher caps, South Carolina includes them without a stated cap, and West Virginia’s cap is much lower. Plenty of states exempt clothing and supplies only. If a laptop is the big purchase, verify before the drive.
What if my state doesn’t have a tax-free weekend?
You’re not missing much. Late-August and September clearance routinely beats a single-digit tax saving, and store-brand supplies beat both. Buy on the school’s list, use what you have, and put the timing energy into clearance instead.
Do the dates change every year?
Frequently, yes. Several states shifted their 2026 windows, and Illinois reinstated a holiday it hadn’t run in recent years. Always re-check your state’s revenue department page each summer rather than relying on last year’s dates — including the ones on this page next year.
