2018 Back to School Tax Free Weekends

One way that some states help families save money during back to school shopping is to offer sales tax holidays.  This helps families save on things they need for their kids like supplies, clothes and even electronics.

Many states suspend the collection of state, county or local sales tax for a few days each summer during back to school tax free weekends.  This can help families keep a bit more money in their own pockets when getting the items your child needs for school.

If you do plan on shopping on any of these dates, keep in mind that the stores will be very, very busy.  It can be a scene similar to Black Friday when it comes to the number of people who shop.  You have to decide if you want to deal with it or not by determining the savings.

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For example, if sales tax is 10% where you live and you spend $600, you can save a total of $60.  For some, it is not worth the chaos of shopping with that number of people. For others, it is well worth it.  Only you can decide what works for you.

Below, you will find a sales tax map. To find out if your state participates, simply place your mouse on it.  If the pointer shape changes then you are in luck!  Your state participates and you can click to go directly to that states’ details including included and excluded items as well as the dates when the sales tax holiday will be offered.

BACK TO SCHOOL TAX FREE WEEKENDS – BY STATE

You can also find a list of participating states below, along with some of the details you will need to know.

WHAT IS BACK TO SCHOOL TAX-FREE WEEKEND?

This is the one period of time where states sales tax is suspended on the purchase of select items.  These often include:

• Clothes
• Shoes
• Select Electronics (computers, tablets)
• School Supplies
• Backpacks
• and more!

ARE THERE RESTRICTIONS?

There are often purchase limits placed on items.  For example, sales tax suspension may apply only to the first $100 on shoes you buy.  That means, if they cost $120, you will pay regular sales tax on $20 of your purchase.

DOES THIS MEAN ABSOLUTELY NO SALES TAX?

No. It does not.  Cities and counties may still collect sales tax on your purchases.  The tax-free weekend only applies to state taxes.  You will need to check with your local jurisdiction to find out more.

As we move into Back to School season, you will want to bookmark and check our Back to School database, which is updated every week with the most recent sales, coupons and deals so you know where to shop to find the absolute lowest price!