Guide to 2026 Tax-Free Weekends in Every State

Sales Tax Holiday: Here’s the Tax-Free Weekend in 2026 for Every State

You could save a lot of money if you know when you can shop tax-free in your state. See our sales tax holiday list for back-to-school and other shopping events.

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Updated Jun 24, 2026

A sales tax holiday can save you a good chunk of money — if you know when it is and how it works.

In 2026, July and August are opportunities to save money in many states, especially if you're looking for back-to-school deals. But there are also tax-free holidays sprinkled throughout the year on other categories, including emergency- and weather-preparedness items, energy-saving appliances and hunting supplies.

What is a sales tax holiday?

A sales tax holiday is a period of time during which many states remove sales tax on certain types of items. Often, the tax-free benefits are limited to a single weekend, but sometimes there are much longer terms.

Sales tax holidays vary by location — and not every state has one. In some cases, the state sales tax may be zero during the holiday, but stores might still have to collect a city or local sales tax.

» MORE: See how to deduct sales taxes on your tax return

How do tax-free weekends work?

Sales tax holidays typically restrict eligible purchases by criteria such as product and price. For example, you might be able to purchase computer models that cost up to $1,000 tax-free, but not ones that cost more.

Keep in mind that some states already don't collect a state sales tax. Local governments (the city or county, for example) can still levy tax in those states, though.

» MORE: How to master back-to-school shopping this year

When is the 2026 tax-free weekend in my state?

Here’s a look at the states with sales tax holidays in 2026 and the items that will be tax-free, according to each state’s department of revenue and tax.

State	Dates	Eligible items / Maximum cost per item
Alabama	July 17-19	Clothing / $156 Computers / $1,173 School supplies / $78 Books / $47
Arkansas	Aug. 1-2	Clothing and footwear / Less than $100 Accessories / Less than $50 School supplies / No maximum
Connecticut	Aug. 16-22	Clothing, footwear and backpacks / Less than $300
Florida	July 20-Aug. 20	School supplies / $50 Clothing, footwear and accessories / $100 Computers and accessories / $1,500 Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles / $30
	Sept. 1-Dec. 31	Tools / Varying maximums
Iowa	Aug. 7-8	Clothing and footwear / Less than $100
Maryland	Aug. 9-15	Clothing and footwear / $100 Backpacks / First $40
Massachusetts	Aug. 8-9	All retail items for personal use (except vehicles, food, alcohol, gas, certain utilities, tobacco, marijuana) / $2,500
Mississippi	July 10-12	Clothing and footwear / Less than $100 Select school supplies / Less than $100
Missouri	Aug. 7-9	Clothing / $100 School supplies / $50 Computers and peripheral devices / $1,500 Computer software / $350 Graphing calculators / $150
Nevada	Oct. 30-Nov. 1	Purchases by National Guard members or qualifying relatives / No maximum
New Mexico	July 31-Aug. 2	Clothing and footwear / Less than $100 Computers and tablets / $1,000 Computer equipment / $500 Certain school supplies / Less than $30
Ohio	Aug. 7-9	Clothing / $75 School supplies / $20
Oklahoma	Aug. 7-9	Clothing and footwear / Less than $100
South Carolina	Aug. 7-9	Items include computers, school supplies and clothing / No maximum
Tennessee	July 31-Aug. 2	Clothing / $100 School supplies / $100 Computers / $1,500
Texas	Aug. 7-9	Clothing, backpacks and school supplies / Less than $100
Virginia	Aug. 7-9	Clothing / $100 School supplies / $20 Energy Star and WaterSense products / $2,500 Hurricane-preparedness items / $60 Generators / $1,000
West Virginia	July 31-Aug. 3	Clothing / $125 School supplies / $50 School instruction material / $20 Sports equipment / $150 Computers and tablets / $500
Source: State tax and revenue departments.

How to save big with a sales tax holiday

Here are some tips for leveraging sales tax holidays to save money:

For back-to-school savings, reserve major purchases, such as laptops, for the tax-free periods in late July or August. For weather-preparedness savings, try to time purchases with tax holidays sprinkled throughout the year.
Keep an eye on the price tags. Typically, only items priced at or below the limit qualify for the tax-free treatment. When back-to-school shopping for new outfits, for example, if the limit is $100 on clothing, then as long as each piece of clothing in your cart is priced $100 or less, you should save on sales tax for those items. But if the limit on shoes is also $100 and you're buying a pair priced at $125, you might have to pay sales tax on them.
Check with the state for exceptions. Before you start shopping, head to your state's taxation and revenue website and find out if there are unusual exceptions. In New Mexico, for example, clothing is part of the tax-free weekend, but sports uniforms and bathing suits don’t count, which means they are still taxable.
Shop around. Eliminating sales tax shouldn’t be your only means of saving money. Check out local kids’ consignment shops for clothes and shoes not covered by the tax-free holiday. You might also try coupon apps to save money on the stuff you need or browser extensions to easily find deals and compare prices while you shop. Doing research ahead of time for bigger purchases, like Energy Star appliances or hurricane-preparedness items, is also key.

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