(NewsNation) — Back-to-school shopping can be a financial burden on families across the country. Luckily, many states offer tax-free holidays each summer to help reduce the costs.
Tax-free holidays are periods of time when states lift or reduce the state sales tax on certain goods. These holidays last days to weeks, and can encompass a variety of items. Often, there is a cap to how much you can save on a given product.
State sales tax varies from 2.9%-7% in states that assess a state sales tax.
Which states offer back-to-school tax holidays, what do they offer and when?
The states offering back-to-school tax holidays, the dates of the holidays and what is eligible for tax exemption, according to the Tax Foundation:
| State | Dates | Items/ price cap |
| Alabama | July 18–20 | Books ($30 or less per book) Clothing ($100 or less per item) Computers, computer software, and school computer supplies (single purchase of $750 or less) School supplies, school art supplies, and school instructional material ($50 or less per item) |
| Arkansas | Aug. 2–3 | Clothing (less than $100 per item) Accessories and cosmetics (less than $50 per item) Electronic devices (no cap) School supplies, school art supplies, and school instructional materials (no cap) |
| Connecticut | Aug. 17–23 | Clothing and footwear (less than $100 per item) |
| Florida | Aug. 1–31 | Computers and related accessories ($1,500 or less per item) Clothing, footwear, and accessories ($100 or less per item) School supplies ($50 or less per item) Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles ($30 or less per item) |
| Iowa | Aug. 1–2 | Clothing and footwear (less than $100 per item) |
| Maryland | Aug.10–16 | Clothing and footwear ($100 or less per item) Backpacks and bookbags (first $40 is sales tax-free) |
| Massachusetts | Aug. 9–10 | All retail purchases by individuals of tangible personal property ($2,500 or less per item), with exceptions |
| Mississippi | July 11-13 | Clothing and footwear (less than $100 per item) School supplies (less than $100 per item) |
| Missouri | Aug. 1-3 | Clothing ($100 or less per item) School supplies ($50 or less per purchase) Computer software ($350 or less per item) Personal computers and related accessories ($1,500 or less per item) Graphing calculators ($150 or less per item) |
| New Mexico | July 25–27 | Bookbags, maps, and globes (less than $100 per item) Clothing and footwear (less than $100 per item) Computers and tablets ($1,000 or less per item) Computer-related accessories ($500 or less per item) School supplies (less than $30 per item) Calculators (less than $200 per item) |
| Ohio | Aug. 1–14 | All tangible personal property ($500 or less per item), with exceptions |
| Oklahoma | Aug. 1–3 | Clothing and footwear (less than $100 per item) |
| South Carolina | Aug. 1–3 | Clothing, clothing accessories, and footwear (no cap) Computers, printers, printer supplies, software (no cap) School supplies (no cap) Certain bed and bath products (no cap) |
| Tennessee | July 25–27 | Clothing ($100 or less per item) Computers, laptops, and tablets ($1,500 or less per item) School supplies and art supplies ($100 or less per item) |
| Texas | Aug. 8–10 | Clothing and footwear (less than $100 per item) School supplies and backpacks (less than $100 per item) |
| Virginia | Aug. 1–3 | Clothing and footwear ($100 or less per item) ENERGY STAR and WaterSense products ($2,500 or less per item) Gas-powered chainsaws ($350 or less per item) Portable generators ($1,000 or less per item) School supplies ($20 or less per item) Chainsaw accessories and hurricane preparedness items ($60 or less per item) |
| West Virginia | Aug. 1–4 | Clothing and footwear ($125 or less per item) Laptops and 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) |
Additional non-back-to-school tax holidays
Some states offer additional tax holidays for non-back-to-school-related products, according to the Tax Foundation:
| State | Dates | Items/ price cap |
| Alabama | Feb. 21-23 | Portable generators and power cords (single purchase of $1,000 or less) Severe weather preparedness supplies ($60 or less per item) |
| Florida | Sept. 8–Dec. 31 | Firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies (no cap) Bait and tackle ($5 or less per item; $10 or less if multiple items sold together) Flashlights, lanterns, and tackle boxes/bags ($30 or less per item) Camping stoves, chairs, hammocks, and sleeping bags ($50 or less per item) Rods and reels ($75 or less per item; $150 or less if sold as a set) Tents ($200 or less per item) |
| Louisiana | Sept. 5-7 | Firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies (no cap) |
| Maryland | Feb. 15-17 | Solar water heaters, ENERGYSTAR products (no cap) |
| Mississippi | Aug. 29-31 | Firearms, ammunition, hunting supplies, and firearm safety equipment excluding safes (no cap) |
| Missouri | April 19-25 | ENERGY STAR products (first $1,500 is tax-free) |
| Nevada | Oct. 31- Nov. 2 | All purchases by Nevada National Guard members and qualifying relatives. Must apply for exemption a minimum of thirty days in advance. |
| Texas | April 26– 28 | Hurricane shutters and emergency ladders (less than $300 per item) Portable generators (less than $3,000 per item) Specific emergency preparedness supplies (less than $75 per item) |
| Texas | May 24-26 | WaterSense products (no cap) Water conserving products (no cap) ENERGY STAR air conditioners ($6,000 or less per item) ENERGY STAR refrigerators ($2,000 or less per item) ENERGY STAR ceiling fans, light bulbs, clothes washers, dishwashers, and dehumidifiers (no cap) |
“Products that earn the ENERGY STAR label meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the U.S. EPA, helping you save energy and money while protecting our climate by making choices that count for a cleaner, healthier environment,” according to the ENERGY STAR website.
Not all states offer tax holidays
States that do not offer tax-free holidays in 2025 are:
Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Delaware, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon do not assess a state tax to begin with.