These 17 States Offer Back-to-School Tax Exemptions

Schoolchildren will likely be complaining about back-to-school purchases, but several states are once again offering tax breaks to help parents save on school supplies.

According to the Federation of Tax Administrators, at least 17 states offer a weekend or period during which school-related items such as clothing, shoes, electronics and supplies are tax-free. Two states – Ohio and Massachusetts – have extended tax-free holidays beyond school-related purchases.

The first one already took place from July 12-14 in Mississippi, but the next one starts Friday in Alabama and lasts all weekend. Each state sets its own dates, which are generally in July or August.

New Jersey no longer has a tax-free holiday for school supplies, a law earlier this year repealed it.

Parents have already started purchasing school supplies

By early July, more than half (55%) of people who were shopping for back-to-school or college supplies had already started purchasing supplies for the school year, according to the annual survey from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

“Families and students are eager to get a head start on their back-to-school shopping,” said Katherine Cullen, National Retail Federation (NRF) vice president of industry and consumer insights, in a press release. “Retailers have anticipated this early demand and are well-positioned to offer a variety of products at competitive prices.”

Families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $874.68 on clothing, shoes, electronics and school supplies, the NRF said. That’s down $15 from last year’s record of $890.07, but it’s the second-highest amount in the survey’s history.

According to the NRF, total spending for the start of the school year is expected to reach $38.8 billion, the second highest amount ever, after last year’s peak of $41.5 billion.

The most popular destinations for back-to-school shopping are online (57%), department stores (50%), discount stores (47%), clothing stores (42%) and electronics stores (23%).

Students and their families are expected to spend more. On average, they will spend $1,364.75, about the same as last year’s $1,366.95. Total college back-to-school spending is expected to reach $86.6 billion, the second-highest amount behind last year’s $94 billion.

Consumers remain cautious about inflation when buying school supplies

Consumers are negative about the U.S. economy and fear inflation, with 51% of respondents feeling that way, according to a new back-to-school survey from Ankura Consulting.

Nearly 75% of shoppers said credit card and personal debt are impacting their back-to-school budget.

And consumers are weighing other parts of their budgets: Nearly 50% of back-to-school shoppers have seen a significant increase in the cost of their auto insurance, while 36% have seen an increase in their home insurance and 32% have seen an increase in their health insurance. Those living expenses are eating into their disposable income, Ankura said.

Is there a tax holiday in my state for the sale of school supplies?

Here’s a list of participating states and what’s tax-free, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators. Rules and dates vary by state, so check your state’s website for the latest information. In some cases, local taxes may still apply.

If there is no dollar amount listed, it appears that the state has not specified a spending limit for that item. A link to most states’ details about their holiday is hyperlinked to each state’s name. Generally, most online purchases are also eligible for the sales tax holiday, but check your state’s requirements.

Alabama

July 19-21

What is tax free:

Clothing and Shoes: $100 or less per item
Computers: $750 or less per item
School Supplies: $50 or less per item
Books: $30 or less per item

Arkansas

August 3-4

What is tax free:

Clothing and shoes: $100 or less per item, Clothing accessories: $50 or less per item
School supplies
Electronic device used for school

Connecticut

August 18-24

What is tax free:

Clothing and footwear less than $100

Florida

July 29-Aug 11

What is tax free:

School Supplies: $50 or less per item
Clothing, shoes, accessories: $100 or less per item
Computers and related accessories: $1,500 or less
Teaching aids and jigsaw puzzles: $30 or less

Iowa

August 2-3

What is tax free:

Clothing or shoes: $100 or less per item

Maryland

August 11-17

What is tax free:

Clothing, shoes and accessories: $100 or less per item
Backpacks: The first $40 of any backpack/bookbag purchase is duty free.

Massachusetts

August 10-11

Eligible retail items purchased for personal use and costing $2,500 or less (not limited to school supplies)

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Mississippi

July 12-14 (A Senate bill changed the holiday from the last Friday and Saturday in July to the second Friday and Saturday and extended it through Sunday.)

What is tax free:

Clothing and Shoes: $100 or less per item
School Supplies: $100 or less per item

Missouri

August 2-4

What is tax free:

Clothing: $100 or less per item
School Supplies: $50 or less per item
Computers: $1,500
Computer software: $350 or less
Computer peripherals: $1,500
Graphing Calculators: $150 or less

New Mexico

August 2-4

What is tax free:

Clothing or shoes: $100 or less per item
Desktop, laptop, tablet or notebook computer: $1,000
Related Computer Hardware: $500 per item
School Supplies: $30 per item

Ohio

July 30-Aug 8

What is tax free:

Ohio’s 2024 tax-free holiday has been expanded to 10 days and is not limited to school supplies. The tax-free period includes anything considered tangible personal property that costs $500 or less, except for watercraft, anything with an outboard motor that must be registered, a motor vehicle, alcohol, tobacco, a vaping product, or a product containing marijuana. Meals consumed on site, which are usually taxed, are also tax-free if they cost less than $500.

Oklahoma

August 2-4

What is tax free:

Clothing or shoes: $100 or less per item.

south carolina

August 2-4

What is tax free:

Clothing, shoes and accessories
School supplies
Computers, printers, earphones and headphones
Certain bed and bath items
Diapers

Tennessee

July 26-28

What is tax free:

Clothing and Shoes: $100 or less per item
School Supplies: $100 or less per item
Computers, including laptops and tablets: $1,500 or less per item

Texas

August 9-11

What is tax free:

Clothing and Shoes: $100 or less per item
Backpacks: $100 or less per item
Face masks
School Supplies: $100 or less per item

Virginia

August 2-4

What is tax free:

Clothing and Shoes: $100 or less per item
School Supplies: $20 or less per item

West Virginia

August 2-5

What is tax free:

Clothing: $125 or less per item
Laptops or tablets: $500 or less per item
School Instructional Materials: $20 or less per item
School Supplies: $50 or less per item
Sports equipment: $150 or less per item

Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher. Sign up here for our free newsletter The Daily Money, which delivers consumer news every Friday.