A sales tax holiday is a short window, usually a weekend in late summer, when a state stops charging sales tax on certain items such as clothing, school supplies, computers, or emergency supplies. Twenty states held at least one sales tax holiday in 2026, counting Nevada's holiday for National Guard members. Most were back-to-school holidays in July and August. A few states also ran holidays for severe-weather supplies, ENERGY STAR appliances, or hunting and firearms purchases.
This guide lists every 2026 holiday we could confirm from a state revenue agency or legislature, the items each one covered, and the price caps that applied. It ends with what sellers need to do before, during, and after a holiday.
2026 sales tax holidays by state
Price caps are per item unless a state says otherwise. An item priced above the cap is generally taxable in full, not just on the amount over the cap.
| State | 2026 dates | What's covered | Price caps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Severe weather: Feb 20–22. Back-to-school: Jul 17–19 | Severe weather: batteries, flashlights, radios, tarps, first aid kits, portable generators, and similar supplies. Back-to-school: clothing, computers and software, books, school supplies | Severe weather: $94 per item, generators $1,564. Back-to-school: clothing $156, computers $1,173 per purchase, books $47, school supplies $78 |
| Arkansas | Aug 1–2 | Clothing and footwear, clothing accessories, school and art supplies, and electronic devices such as computers, tablets, phones, and printers | Clothing under $100; accessories under $50 |
| Connecticut | Aug 16–22 | Most clothing and footwear, including cleated shoes and backpacks in 2026 | Under $300 (raised from under $100 for 2026) |
| Florida | Back-to-school: Jul 20–Aug 20. Hunting, fishing, and camping: Sep 1–Dec 31 | Back-to-school: clothing, footwear, bags, school supplies, learning aids, personal computers. Hunting, fishing, and camping: firearms, ammunition, bows, crossbows, listed accessories, fishing supplies, and camping gear | Back-to-school: clothing and bags $100; school supplies $50; learning aids $30; computers $1,500. Hunting, fishing, and camping: no cap on firearms, ammunition, bows, crossbows, or listed accessories; lanterns and flashlights $30; camping stoves, hammocks, chairs, and sleeping bags $50; tents $200; rods and reels $75 each or $150 as a set; tackle boxes and bags $30; bait and tackle $10 each or $20 together |
| Illinois | Aug 7–16 | Clothing, footwear, and school supplies taxed at a reduced 1.25% state rate instead of 6.25% | Clothing and footwear under $125; school supplies uncapped |
| Iowa | First Friday and Saturday of August (Aug 7–8) | Clothing and footwear | Under $100 |
| Louisiana | Second Amendment weekend: Sep 4–6 | Firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies for personal use | None |
| Maryland | Energy: Feb 14–16. Tax-free week: Aug 9–15 | Energy: ENERGY STAR appliances and products. Tax-free week: clothing, footwear, backpacks | Energy: none. Tax-free week: clothing and footwear $100; first $40 of a backpack |
| Massachusetts | Aug 8–9 | Most retail goods bought for personal use (not meals, vehicles, boats, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or utilities) | Under $2,500 |
| Mississippi | Back-to-school: Jul 10–12. Second Amendment weekend: Aug 28–30 | Back-to-school: clothing, footwear, school supplies. Second Amendment: firearms, ammunition, firearm safes, and hunting supplies | Back-to-school: under $100. Second Amendment: none |
| Missouri | Show-Me Green: Apr 19–25 (fixed by statute). Back-to-school: Aug 7–9 | Show-Me Green: new ENERGY STAR appliances. Back-to-school: clothing, school supplies, software, graphing calculators, computers | Show-Me Green: $1,500 per appliance. Back-to-school: clothing $100, school supplies $50 per purchase, software $350, calculators $150, computers $1,500 |
| New Mexico | Back-to-school: Jul 31–Aug 2 | Clothing and shoes, computers and accessories, school supplies, backpacks, calculators | Clothing under $100; computers $1,000; accessories $500; school supplies under $30; backpacks under $100; calculators under $200 |
| Ohio | Aug 7–9 | Clothing, school supplies, school instructional materials | Clothing $75; school supplies and instructional materials $20 |
| Oklahoma | First Friday through Sunday of August under state law | Clothing and footwear (not accessories or athletic gear) | Under $100 |
| South Carolina | Aug 7–9 | Clothing, accessories, shoes, school supplies, computers, software, printers, bed and bath items | None |
| Tennessee | Jul 31–Aug 2 | Clothing, school supplies, computers, tablets | Clothing and school supplies $100; computers $1,500 |
| Texas | Emergency supplies: Apr 25–27. ENERGY STAR and water-efficient: May 23–25. Back-to-school: Aug 7–9 | Emergency: generators, batteries, first aid kits, and similar supplies. ENERGY STAR: appliances, fans, bulbs. Back-to-school: clothing, footwear, school supplies, backpacks | Emergency: generators under $3,000, ladders and shutters under $300, other items under $75. ENERGY STAR: air conditioners $6,000, refrigerators $2,000. Back-to-school: under $100 |
| Virginia | Aug 7–9 | School supplies, clothing, footwear, hurricane and emergency items, ENERGY STAR and WaterSense products | School supplies $20; clothing and footwear $100; portable generators $1,000; gas chainsaws $350; other emergency items $60; ENERGY STAR and WaterSense $2,500 |
| West Virginia | Jul 31–Aug 3 | Clothing, school supplies, instructional materials, laptops and tablets, sports equipment | Clothing $125; school supplies $50; instructional materials $20; laptops and tablets $500; sports equipment $150 |
Nevada also runs a holiday for active members of the Nevada National Guard and qualifying family members over Nevada Day weekend (Oct 30–Nov 1, 2026). Retailers charge tax as normal and eligible buyers claim a refund from the state, so it does not change how most sellers collect.
Local taxes during a holiday
States treat local sales tax differently, so check before you configure your checkout:
- State and local both exempt: Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia exempt local taxes along with state tax. New Mexico's holiday is a deduction from gross receipts tax, which removes the full combined rate for participating retailers.
- State only, unless a locality opts in: Alabama exempts state tax, and local taxes still apply unless a county or city chooses to join.
- State only: Oklahoma's holiday covers only the state tax, so local sales taxes still apply. Illinois lowered only the state rate; local taxes were unchanged.
- No local sales tax to worry about: Connecticut, Maryland, and Massachusetts have no general local sales tax.
Recurring holidays and recent changes
Most of these holidays are written into state law and happen every year on a fixed schedule, such as the first weekend of August. A few changed recently:
- Florida made its back-to-school holiday permanent in 2025 and, in 2026, moved it to run every year from July 20 through August 20. It also replaced its disaster-preparedness holidays with year-round exemptions for items such as batteries, smoke detectors, and portable generators starting August 1, 2025.
- Ohio held expanded holidays covering most items up to $500 in 2024 and 2025. The state budget ruled out an expanded holiday for 2026, so only the standard three-day back-to-school holiday ran.
- Alabama began adjusting its holiday price caps for inflation in 2026, which is why its caps are uneven numbers.
- Connecticut raised its clothing cap to under $300 for 2026 and made most non-electronic school supplies exempt year-round starting July 1, 2026.
- Virginia re-enacted its annual holiday under a new law that runs through July 1, 2030.
- Illinois held a one-time back-to-school rate reduction in 2026 after earlier holidays in 2010 and 2022.
- Louisiana repealed its annual holiday and its hurricane-preparedness holiday in late 2024. Its Second Amendment weekend continues.
- Georgia has not held a sales tax holiday since 2016.
2027 dates
States announce exact dates at different times, and some set them by statute each year while others need new legislation. We'll update this page with 2027 dates as states announce them.
What sales tax holidays mean for sellers
A holiday changes what you collect for a few days, but it doesn't pause your other obligations. Here's what to plan for:
- Configure the exemption by state, category, and price. Each holiday has its own item definitions and caps. A $95 jacket may be exempt in Texas while a $95 backpack in Maryland is only partly exempt. Your tax engine needs to apply the right rule to each line item based on the delivery address.
- Use the delivery address and the order date. For online orders, the holiday generally applies based on where the item is delivered and when the sale is made. Check each state's rules for layaway, rain checks, and orders placed during the holiday but shipped later.
- Still report exempt sales. Holiday sales are generally still reported on your return, typically as exempt sales, even though no tax was collected.
- Handle returns and exchanges carefully. If a customer returns an item bought tax-free, you refund the price paid, with no tax to refund. If a customer exchanges it for a different item after the holiday ends, the new item may be taxable.
- Know who collects on marketplace orders. On marketplaces such as Amazon, the marketplace facilitator collects tax on sales through its platform in most states and applies the holiday. Your direct website sales are still your responsibility.
- Holiday sales still count toward nexus. Sales made tax-free during a holiday still count toward most states' economic nexus thresholds. A strong back-to-school weekend can push you over a threshold in a new state. See how economic nexus works.
Kintsugi applies holiday exemptions automatically by state, product category, and price, and its exposure monitoring tracks your sales against each state's nexus threshold. To check the rate on a specific address outside a holiday, use the free US sales tax calculator.
For state-specific detail on clothing, see our guides for Texas, South Carolina, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Florida, and Massachusetts. If you're curious which states skip sales tax entirely, see the five states with no sales tax.
Frequently asked questions
What is a sales tax holiday?
A sales tax holiday is a temporary period, set by state law, when specific items can be bought without paying sales tax. Most cover back-to-school items such as clothing and school supplies, and each has its own list of eligible items and price caps.
Which states have a tax-free weekend in 2026?
States that held sales tax holidays in 2026 include Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
When is Ohio's tax-free weekend?
Ohio's 2026 sales tax holiday ran from Friday, August 7 through Sunday, August 9. It covered clothing priced at $75 or less per item and school supplies and instructional materials priced at $20 or less.
Do online purchases count during a sales tax holiday?
Generally, yes. Online orders for eligible items delivered to an address in the holiday state are usually covered, as long as the sale happens during the holiday period. Check each state's rules for timing of orders and shipment.
Do sellers have to participate in a sales tax holiday?
In most states, yes: retailers must honor the exemption on qualifying items. New Mexico is an exception. Retailers there can choose not to participate, in which case they pay the gross receipts tax and may pass it on to customers.
Do tax-free sales count toward economic nexus?
In most states, yes. Economic nexus thresholds are generally based on gross or retail sales into the state, which include sales made tax-free during a holiday.
Sources
- Alabama Department of Revenue: Sales Tax Holidays, 2026 Back-to-School fact sheet, 2026 Severe Weather fact sheet
- Arkansas DFA: 2026 Sales Tax Holiday instructions
- Connecticut DRS: Sales Tax Free Week
- Florida Department of Revenue: TIP 26A01-11, TIP 26A01-06, Sales Tax Holidays, TIP 25A01-05
- Illinois Department of Revenue: Informational Bulletin FY 2026-30
- Iowa Department of Revenue: Iowa's Annual Sales Tax Holiday
- Louisiana Department of Revenue: 2026 Second Amendment Weekend
- Maryland Comptroller: 2026 Shop Maryland Energy Weekend, 2026 Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week
- Massachusetts Legislature: 2026 sales tax holiday announcement, M.G.L. c. 64H, § 6A
- Mississippi Department of Revenue: 2026 Sales Tax Holiday, 2026 Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday
- Missouri Department of Revenue: Back-to-School, Show-Me Green
- Nevada Department of Taxation: National Guard Tax Holiday FAQs
- New Mexico Taxation and Revenue: 2026 back-to-school tax holiday
- Ohio Department of Taxation: Sales Tax Holiday; ORC 5739.41
- Oklahoma Tax Commission: Sales Tax Holiday
- South Carolina Department of Revenue: Tax Free Weekend
- Tennessee Department of Revenue: 2026 Sales Tax Holiday
- Texas Comptroller: Emergency Preparation Supplies, ENERGY STAR and Water-Efficient Products, Back-to-School
- Virginia Tax: Sales Tax Holiday; Va. Code § 58.1-639.1
- West Virginia Tax Division: Sales Tax Holiday
