Summary
- A sales tax holiday is a limited time period when a state allows purchases of specific items tax-free.
- The first sales tax holiday was held in 1980 and was only for automobile purchases.
- Sales tax holidays by state differ in date and in the products that are tax-exempt.
- Knowing what to buy during a sales tax holiday can save you money on essentials.
What is a sales tax holiday?
According to the Tax Foundation, sales tax accounts for 32% of overall state collections and 13% of local tax collections, making it a significant part of a state's revenue.
A sales tax holiday is a set period of time during which certain products are exempt from state sales taxes and sometimes local taxes, too.
Originally, sales tax holidays started as a one-time tax break for automobile purchases.
Ohio and Michigan were the first states in America to hold sales tax holidays in 1980. When New York caught on to the trend in 1997, the rest of the country followed suit, soon offering a wide variety of goods on the same holiday.
Sales tax holidays benefit the public for several reasons. Not only do they provide cost savings on important, often essential items, but they also help reduce cross-border shopping.
When is tax free weekend in 2026?
Sales tax holidays vary by state, and not all states offer them. They can also change from year to year, making it important to keep up with annual updates.
It’s also worth noting that some states have multiple tax holidays throughout the year, with different items being reduced at different times.
Five states – Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon – do not impose state sales taxes. However, some areas may impose local sales taxes, which could have a sales tax holiday.
Below is the list of sales tax holidays for 2026 by state, along with what is reduced during that time:
State | Date | Tax-free items |
|---|---|---|
Alabama | Feb, 27 - Mar, 1 | Emergency preparedness items worth $94 or less. |
| Jul, 17-19 | Back-to-school items, including: computers, software, and computer supplies ($750 or less), school supplies ($78 or less), books ($47 or less), and clothing ($156 or less). |
Alaska | Nov, 29-30 | Most items, excluding fuel, alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana |
Arizona | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Arkansas | 2026 dates to be announced | Back-to-school items, including: clothing and footwear ($100 or less), clothing accessories and equipment ($50 or less), and school supplies. |
California | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Colorado | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Connecticut | 2026 dates to be announced | Back-to-school items, including: clothing and footwear ($100 or less). |
Delaware | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Florida | 2026 dates to be announced | Home hardening items, including impact-resistant windows, doors, and garage doors, currently have a two-year tax exemption. |
| 2026 dates to be announced | Energy Star appliances, including: refrigerators (up to $4,500), washing machines (up to $1,500), water heater (up to $1,500), and clothes dryer (up to $1,500). |
| August, 1-31 | Back-to-school items, including: clothing, wallets, and bags (up to $100), school supplies (up to $50), learning aids (up to $30), and computers and computer-related accessories (up to $1,500). |
| Year-round | Disaster preparedness items up to $3,000, including: batteries, fuel tanks, fire alarms, portable generators, and carbon monoxide detectors. |
| 2026 dates to be announced | Outdoor items, including: fishing supplies, camping supplies, pool supplies, and children’s athletic equipment. |
Georgia | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Hawaii | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Idaho | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Illinois | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Indiana | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Iowa | 2026 dates to be announced | Back-to-school items, including: clothing (less than $100), and footwear (less than $100). |
Kansas | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Kentucky | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Louisiana | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Maine | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Maryland | 2026 dates to be announced | Energy Star items, including: standard size refrigerators, air conditioners, boilers, heat pumps, washers and dryers, compact fluorescent light bulbs, dehumidifiers, and solar water heaters. |
| 2026 dates to be announced | Back-to-school items, including: clothing and footwear ($100/item or less), and backpacks (only the first $40). |
Massachusetts | 2026 dates to be announced | Tangible personal property (up to $2,500) |
Michigan | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Minnesota | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Mississippi | 2026 dates to be announced | Back-to-school items, including: clothing (less than $100), and footwear (less than $100). |
| 2026 dates to be announced | Second amendment items, including: firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies. |
Missouri | Apr, 19-25 | New Energy Star items up to $1,500, including: air conditioners, washers and dryers, refrigerators, heat pumps, stoves, and furnaces. |
| Aug, 7-9 | Back-to-school items, including: clothing ($100 or less), school supplies ($50 or less), PCs and computer devices ($1,500 or less), computer software ($350 or less), and graphing calculators ($150 or less). |
Montana | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Nebraska | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Nevada | 2026 dates to be announced | Purchases made by National Guard members |
New Hampshire | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
New Jersey | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
New Mexico | Aug, 1-3 | Back-to-school items, including: clothing and shoes ($100 or less), school supplies, computers and related devices ($1,000 or less), specific computer-related items ($500 or less), book bags, backpacks, maps and globes ($100 or less), and handheld calculators ($200 or less). |
| 2026 dates to be announced | Small business gross receipts tax holiday, which allows qualifying small businesses to deduct sales receipts for specific tangible personal property, allowing them to sell these items tax-free. |
New York | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
North Carolina | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
North Dakota | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Ohio | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Oklahoma | August, 7-9 | Back-to-school items, including: clothing (less than $100), and footwear (less than $100). |
Oregon | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Pennsylvania | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Rhode Island | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
South Carolina | August 7-9 | Back-to-school items, including: school supplies, clothing and footwear, computers and software, clothing accessories, and specific bed and bath items. |
South Dakota | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Tennessee | Jul, 24-26 | Back-to-school items, including: clothing and shoes ($100 or less), school supplies ($100 or less), and computers (up to $1,500). |
Texas | Apr, 25-27 | Emergency preparedness supplies, including: portable generators (less than $3,000), emergency ladders and hurricane shutters (less than $300), and first aid kits, batteries, axes, fuel containers, and light sources (less than $75). |
| May, 23-25 | Energy Star appliances, including: air conditioners (up to $6,000), dishwashers, dehumidifiers, refrigerators (up to $2,000), and ceiling fans. |
| May, 23-25 | Water-efficiency items, including: soakers or drip irrigation hoses, moisture control systems for sprinkler or irrigation systems, mulch, rain collection systems, soil and compost, plants, trees, and grasses, water-saving surfactants, and permeable ground cover surfaces that allow water to reach water collection points. |
| Aug, 7-9 | Back-to-school items, including: clothing and footwear (less than $100), backpacks, and school supplies (less than $100). |
Utah | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Vermont | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Virginia | 2026 dates to be announced | Various qualifying items across a three-day sales tax holiday, including: school supplies ($20 or less), clothing and footwear ($100 or less), portable generators ($1,000 or less), gas-powered chainsaws ($350 or less), chainsaw accessories ($60 or less), other specified hurricane preparedness items ($60 or less), and qualifying Energy Star™ or WaterSense™ products ($2,500 or less). |
Washington | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
West Virginia | 2026 dates to be announced | Back-to-school items, including: clothing (less than $125), school supplies (less than $50), computers and laptops (less than $500), sports equipment (less than $150), and school instruction material (less than $20). |
Wisconsin | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
Wyoming | No planned sales tax holiday |
|
What should I buy during a sales tax holiday?
Typically, a state’s tax-free weekends follow a set theme, such as “emergency/disaster preparedness” or “back-to-school,” during which certain items related to that theme are on offer.
Some states’ tax-free weekends don’t follow a theme, with nearly all items included.
This means the best items to buy during a sales tax holiday depend on where you are located.
It’s also important to note that when making purchases during a sales tax holiday, most states impose price restrictions or a price cap, meaning only items below this amount qualify for the exemption.
For example, if your state has a $100 cap on clothing and you buy a jacket for $110, the entire $110 is taxable. You cannot deduct the first $100 and only tax the remaining $10.
Want to learn more about taxes?
Depending on your state, shopping smart during sales tax holidays can save you a large sum of money on both essential and non-essential items.
Let Unbiased match you with a financial advisor who can offer expert advice on how to legally reduce your tax bill.