If you live in Delaware, Montana, Oregon, or New Hampshire, feel free to have another cup of coffee and stare blankly into the air for the next 3.6 minutes. Your state does not impose a sales tax, so your sales tax holidays last 365 days a year. We may talk in another article about your state’s alternate taxes that make up the difference, but for today, take your win with grace and dignity. For those of us in the other 46 states, however, sales taxes are a daily part of life, made that much more apparent at back-to-school time. It’s hard enough to spring for back-to-school (“You need a tuxedo for band and orchestra? You need it THE FIRST DAY?”) without sales taxes wearing you out.
Hooray, for sales tax holidays! These short term respites from sales tax are ways that some states are helping out the back-to-school families in their midst. So, is your state participating? Gildshire broke the sales tax holidays down by dates and states, so you can easily find out.
August 1-4:
Wisconsin:
Clothing and school supplies at $75 or less per item. Computers, under $750, and computer supplies costing $250 or less.
August 2-3:
Iowa is holding its sales tax holiday to two days. But, on those days you can get clothing and footwear priced under $100 per item tax-free.
August 2-4:
Virginia:
Clothing and footwear are tax-free up to $100 per item, but school supplies less than $20 receive the same offer.
South Carolina:
Clothing, accessories, shoes, school supplies, backpacks, computers, printers and printer supplies, computer software, bed linens, and bath accessories are tax-free without price constraints.
Oklahoma:
In-state purchased clothing and footwear under $100 per item are tax-free.
Ohio:
The Buckeye State offers clothing tax-free as long as it is tagged at $75 or less. Folks purchasing school supplies and instructional materials worth $20 or less receive the same offer.
Sales tax holidays are the times to stock up on clothes for the fall.
New Mexico has one of the widest-ranging sales tax holidays of the bunch. In The Land of Enchantment, clothing, shoes, and accessories up to $100 or less per article, computers up to $1,000, and related computer hardware worth $500 or less per item are all eligible. But that isn’t all. Because, low-tech items are part of the action. School supplies up to $30 per item, and backpacks worth up to one hundred bucks! All part of New Mexico’s sales tax holidays. Finally, a globe of the earth, up to a $100 value, is tax-free.
Missouri:
School supplies costing $50 or less per item, computers worth $1,500 or less, computer software priced at $350 or less, and clothing marked $100 or less are all part of the action in the Show-Me State.
Aug. 2-6:
Florida:
Florida’s sales tax break is one of the nation’s longest, lasting a full five days. That’s when you can buy clothing, footwear, and accessories costing $60 or less per item, school supplies at $15 or less per item, along with computers and accessories priced $1,000 or less per individual piece.
Aug. 11-17:
Arkansas:
We said Florida had one of the longest of the sales tax holidays, but seven days is longer than five, and Arkansas’ holiday lasts a full week. That’s the week to buy clothing up to $100 per item, apparel accessories for $50 or less, and school and art supplies, textbooks, workbooks, and maps without dollar amount restrictions.
Maryland:
Maryland offers the same week. There you can get clothing and footwear valued at $100 or less per item. In the case of backpacks and bookbags, the first $40 is tax-exempt.
Aug. 17-18
Massachusetts:
Finally, The Bay State checks in with the last of the sales tax holidays. There, it is pretty much a sales tax break day free-for-all. Any single item of tangible personal property worth $2,500 or less and clothing valued at $175 or less per article are tax-free. In other words, if Junior needs both a tux and a used Lexus to get to school, they are both tax-free.
Happy shopping at those sales tax holidays, but be friendly in the aisles. That’s a cute top, but it isn ‘t worth a brawl at Kohl’s.
