Guide to 2024 Tax-Free Weekends in Every State

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A sales tax holiday can save you a good chunk of money — if you know when it is and how it works.

In 2024, July and August are opportunities to save money in many states, especially if you're looking for back-to-school deals. But there are tax-free holidays sprinkled throughout the year on other categories, including emergency- and weather-preparedness items, energy-saving appliances and hunting supplies.

What is a sales tax holiday?

A sales tax holiday is a period of time during which many states remove sales tax on certain types of items. Often, the tax-free benefits are limited to a single weekend, but sometimes there are much longer terms.

Sales tax holidays vary by location — and not every state has one. In some cases, the state sales tax may be zero during the holiday, but stores might still have to collect a city or local sales tax.

» MORE: See how to deduct sales taxes on your tax return

How do tax-free weekends work?

Sales tax holidays typically restrict eligible purchases by criteria such as product and price. For example, you might be able to purchase computer models that cost up to $1,000 tax-free, but not ones that cost more.

When is the 2024 tax-free weekend in my state?

Here’s a look at the states with sales tax holidays in 2024 and the items that will be tax-free, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators and each state’s department of revenue and tax.

State	Dates	Eligible items / Maximum cost per item
Alabama	July 19-21	Clothing / $100 Computers / $750 School supplies / $50 Books / $30
Arkansas	Aug. 3-4	Clothing and footwear / Less than $100 Accessories / Less than $50 School supplies / No maximum
Connecticut	Aug. 18-24	Clothing and footwear / Less than $100
Florida	July 29-Aug. 11	School supplies / $50 Clothing, footwear and accessories / $100 Computers and accessories / $1,500 Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles / $30
	Sept. 1-7	Tools / Varying maximums
Iowa	Aug. 2-3	Clothing and footwear / Less than $100
Louisiana	Sept. 6-8	Firearms, ammunition and hunting supplies / No maximum
Maryland	Aug. 11-17	Clothing and footwear / $100 Backpacks / First $40
Massachusetts	Aug. 10-11	All retail items for personal use / $2,500 (except vehicles, food, alcohol, gas, certain utilities, tobacco, marijuana)
Mississippi	July 12-14	Clothing and footwear / Less than $100 Select school supplies / Less than $100
	Aug. 30-Sept. 1	Firearms, ammunition and hunting supplies / No maximum
Missouri	Aug. 2-4	Clothing / $100 School supplies / $50 Computers and peripheral devices / $1,500 Computer software / $350 Graphing calculators / $150
Nevada	Oct. 25-27	Purchases by National Guard members or qualifying relatives / No maximum
New Mexico	Aug. 2-4	Clothing / Less than $100 Computers / $1,000 Computer equipment / $500 Certain school supplies / Less than $30
	Nov. 30	Certain small business purchases / Less than $500
Ohio	July 30-Aug. 8	All tangible personal property / $500 (except certain watercrafts or outboard motors, motor vehicles, alcohol, tobacco, vapor products, marijuana)
Oklahoma	Aug. 2-4	Clothing / Less than $100
South Carolina	Aug. 2-4	Items include computers, school supplies and clothing / No maximum
Tennessee	July 26-28	Clothing / $100 School supplies / $100 Computers / $1,500
Texas	May 25-27	Select Energy Star products (ceiling fans, light bulbs, dishwashers, etc.) / No maximum WaterSense products / No maximum Energy Star air conditioners / $6,000 Energy Star refrigerators / $2,000
	Aug. 9-11	Clothing, backpacks and school supplies / $100
Virginia	Aug. 2-4	Clothing / $100 School supplies / $20 Energy Star and WaterSense products / $2,500 Hurricane-preparedness items / $60 Generators / $1,000
West Virginia	Aug. 2-5	Clothing / $125 School supplies / $50 School instruction material / $20 Sports equipment / $150 Computer or tablet / $500
Sources: Federation of Tax Administrators; state tax and revenue departments.

» MORE: See which states don't have income taxes

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How to save big with a sales tax holiday

Here are some tips for leveraging sales tax holidays to save money:

For back-to-school savings, reserve major purchases like laptops for the tax-free periods in late July or August. For weather-preparedness savings, try to time purchases with tax holidays sprinkled throughout the year.
Keep an eye on the price tags. Typically, only items priced at or below the limit qualify for the tax-free treatment. When back-to-school shopping for new outfits, for example, if the limit is $100 on clothing, then as long as each piece of clothing in your cart is priced $100 or less, you should save on sales tax for those items. But if the limit on shoes is also $100 and you're buying a pair priced at $125, you might have to pay sales tax on them.
Check with the state for exceptions. Before you start shopping, head to your state's taxation and revenue website and find out if there are unusual exceptions. In New Mexico, for example, clothing is part of the tax-free weekend, but sports uniforms and bathing suits don’t count, which means they are still taxable.
Shop around. Eliminating sales tax shouldn’t be your only means of saving money. Check out local kids’ consignment shops for clothes and shoes not covered by the tax-free holiday. You might also try coupon apps to save money on the stuff you need or browser extensions to easily find deals and compare prices while you shop. Doing research ahead of time for bigger purchases, like Energy Star appliances or hurricane-preparedness items, is also key.

Guide to 2024 Tax-Free Weekends in Every State - NerdWallet (2024)

What is a sales tax holiday?

How do tax-free weekends work?

When is the 2024 tax-free weekend in my state?

How to save big with a sales tax holiday