Tax-Free Shopping To Start Soon: What States can take advantage of it?

The total spending for K-12 schools and college reached $82.8 billion in 2018, nearly as high as 2017’s $83.6 billion, that’s according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. Parents are often looking for opportunities to save some cash with those expenses looming. Sales tax holidays are one of the ways they do it. 

This year, states offer taxpayers a break in sales for back-to-school items and below are the list:

• Alabama - Exemptions apply to purchases of school supplies, art supplies or school instructional materials ($50 or less per item), books ($30 or less per items), computers (single purchase up to $750) and clothing ($100 or less per item). Check the state website for a list of participating locations since not all counties and municipalities are participating. 
• Arkansas - (August 3-4) Exemptions apply to purchases of school supplies, art supplies, clothing accessories ($50 or less per item), and clothing and footwear ($100 or less per item). During the Sales Tax Holiday, all retailers are required to participate and may not charge tax items that are legally tax-exempt. 
• Connecticut - (August 18-24) Exemptions apply to purchases of clothing and footwear ($100 or less per item), excluding protective or athletic clothing, clothing accessories, and some shoes including bowling, cleats, ballet, football, bicycle, track, golf, jazz, tap, and turf (but note that exemptions include aerobic, boat, basketball and running shoes).
• Florida - (August 2-6) Exemptions include computers that cost less than $1,000, lunch boxes and school supplies such as pens, pencils, and binders that cost less than $15. Shoes, clothing, handbags, wallets, and backpack that cost $60 or less are also included.
• Iowa - (August 2-3) Exemptions apply to purchases of footwear or clothing up to $100 per item; sales tax applies to the entire price of the item that costs $100 or more. 
• Maryland - (August 12-18) Exemptions apply to accessories including watches, watchbands, jewelry, scarves, umbrella, handkerchiefs, and ties. Clothing and footwear ($100 or less per item), including shirts, dresses, sweaters, slacks, jeans, robes, underwear, shoes, belts, and boots. Headbands and belt buckles will remain taxable and also footwear or clothing that is designed not for normal wear but for protective use such as football pads. 
• Mississippi - (July 26-27) Exemptions do not include cleats and items worn in conjunction with and athletic or recreational activity. It applies to purchases of footwear and clothing (regardless of how many items are sold at the same time it will be $100 or less); accessory items such as handbags, wallets, jewelry, watches, backpacks and similar items are not included. 
• Missouri - (August 2-4) Exemptions apply to school supplies ($50 or less per purchase), personal computers or computer peripheral devices ($1,500 or less), computer software ($350 or less), graphing calculators ($150 or less)n and clothing ($100 or less per item). The state’s portion of the tax rate (4.225%) will remain exempt even if some cities have opted not to participate.
• New Mexico - (August 2-4) Exemptions apply to purchases of school supplies ($30 or less per item), computer ($1,000 or less per item), computer peripherals ($500 or less per item), book bags and backpacks ($100 or less per item), and clothing and footwear excluding accessories ($100 or less per item). 
• Oklahoma - (August 2-4) Exemptions apply to the purchases of footwear and clothing ($100 or less per item). Any accessory, special clothing or footwear that are primarily designed for protective use or athletic activity, or to the rental of clothing or footwear are not part of the exemptions. From the state, city, county and local municipal sales taxes, qualified items are exempt from it. 
• South Carolina - (August 2-4) Shoppers will find tax-free items for the home and dorm room. Exemptions mainly apply to a variety of back-to-school essentials such as school supplies, backpacks, computers, clothing, accessories, and shoes. 
• Tennessee - (July 26-28) Exemptions apply to purchases of school and art supplies ($100 or less per item), computers ($1,500 or less) and clothing ($100 or less per item). Items such as jewelry, handbags, or sports and recreational equipment that costs more than $100 remain taxable. 
• Texas - (August 9-11) Exemptions include school supplies, backpacks, footwear, clothing priced under $100 from sales and use taxes from a Texas store or from an online or catalog seller doing business in Texas. 
• Virginia - (August 2-4) Exemptions apply to purchases of school supplies (20 or less per item), clothing and footwear ($100 or less per item). Sports or recreational items are not exempt from the tax. 

There are a lot of states that have not yet confirmed a 2019 date even though they offered a sales tax holiday in 2018. 

Alaska, New Hampshire, Delaware, Montana, and Oregon have no state-wide sales tax. Pennsylvania and Vermont already exempt some necessities like clothing. This list is only meant to provide general guidelines for state sales tax holidays. You can always check with your states if you have questions.