As parents gear up for the 2026 school year, several states are offering back-to-school sales tax holidays to help families save on essential supplies.
By: Nia Noelle
Black America Web
https://blackamericaweb.com/
- States vary in the dates and items covered in their tax-free weekends, offering savings on clothing, school supplies, and technology.
- Participating states include Florida, New Mexico, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Iowa, Texas, Virginia, and Maryland.
- The tax holidays aim to provide financial relief for parents as they prepare to send their children back to school.
It’s already time to start preparing to send children back to school. And while many kids are not ready to go back there are plenty of parents ready to get these kids back in the classroom.
But are we prepared for the financial strain school can bring? From grade school to college, students have needs that can be extremely expensive for parents. 14 states are holding a back-to-school sales tax holdiay for 2026, helping parents and students save money.
Most participating states are offering savings on things students need for school like clothing, school supplies, while a handful of states are also including savings on laptops, tablets, software, calculators, packpacks, and printers. Below we breakdown what states are participating in sales tax holidays for the 2026 back-to-school season and how you can save big this.
Florida is offering the following items tax-exempt during the weekend of July 20 through August 20: With one of the longest windows to save money in the country, Florida includes qualifying clothing, footwear, backpacks, school supplies, learning aids, and certain computers and accessories in its tax-free time.
New Mexico is offering the following items tax-exempt during the weekend of July 24 to 26th: Clothing, shoes, school supplies, computers, tablets, and related accessories qualify up to a specified dollar amount.
Arkansas is offering the following items tax-exempt during the weekend of August 1-2: clothing, school supplies, school art supplies, and instructional materials.
Tennessee is offering the following items tax-exempt during July 31 through August 2nd: Clothing, school supplies, and qualifying computers.
Missouri is offering the following items tax-exempt during August 7-9: Clothing, school supplies, computers, software, graphing calculators, and some computer accessories qualify within price limits.
Ohio is offering the following items tax-exempt during August 7-9: Clothing, school supplies, computers, software, graphing calculators, and some computer accessories qualify if purchased for personal use within price limits.
Oklahoma is offering the following items tax-exempt during August 7-9: Clothing, footwear, under $100 per item qualify.
South Carolina is offering the following items tax-exempt during August 7-9: Clothing, shoes, school supplies, computers, printers, software, and certain bed and bath items.
Iowa is offering the following items tax-exempt during the weekend of August 7-8: Clothing, footwear priced under the state’s limit qualify.
Texas is offering the following items tax-exempt during the weekend of August 7-89 Most clothing, shoes, backpacks and school supplies priced under $100 qualify purchased in-store or online.
Virginia is offering the following items tax-exempt during the weekend of August 7-9: School supplies, clothing, and footwear qualify along with hurricane preparedness items and energy star/watersense products.
Maryland is offering the following items tax-exempt August 9-15: Most clothing and footwear under the mandated price limit, along with the first portion of the purchase price on qualifying backpacks.
