Shop these sales tax holidays to save on back-to-school shopping

Some states allow consumers two days or more of tax-free shopping before school starts. This gives families a chance to save money on clothes, shoes, classroom supplies, computers, backpacks and other things that students need.

Each state’s sales tax holiday rules and exemptions are different. For example, Mississippi exempts shoppers from state taxes but not city and county taxes, while Oklahoma shoppers are exempt from state and local taxes during the holiday.

State rules for layaways, coupons, exchanges and other transaction details during the tax holidays also differ, so read the rules carefully. Eligible purchases made online during the tax holidays are tax-exempt, including merchandise bought on Amazon.

Many states don’t have sales-tax holidays or have not yet authorized a holiday. If you’re not sure about whether yours does, contact your state legislator. If you want more information about the rules and exemptions for your state’s sales tax holiday, go to the website for the state’s department of revenue.

Alabama

Sales tax holiday: July 19-21

• Clothing and accessories: $100 or less per item
• School and art supplies: $50 or less per item
• Computers, printers and printer supplies: $750 or less per article
• Textbooks: Over $30, but not more than $50

Arkansas

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 3-4

• Clothing: $100 or less per item
• Apparel accessories: $50 or less per item
• School supplies and art supplies: No dollar limit
• Instructional materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, maps: No dollar limit

Connecticut

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 18-24

• Clothing and footwear: $100 or less per item

Florida

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 2-6

• Clothing, footwear and accessories: $60 or less per item
• School supplies: $15 or less per item
• Computers and accessories: $1,000 or less per item

Iowa

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 2-3

• Clothing and footwear: Less than $100

Maryland

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 11-17

• Clothing and footwear: $100 or less
• Backpacks/bookbags: The first $40 is tax-exempt

Massachusetts

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 17-18

• Single items of tangible personal property: $2,500 or less
• Clothing: $175 or less per article

Mississippi

Sales tax holiday: July 26-27

• Clothing, footwear and school supplies: Up to $100 per item
• Mississippi counties and cities can’t collect state taxes during the sales-tax holiday, but they can collect local taxes.

Missouri

Sales-tax holiday: Aug. 2-4

• School supplies: $50 or less
• Computers: $1,500 or less
• Computer software: $350 or less
• Clothing: $100 or less

New Mexico

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 2-4

• Clothing, shoes and accessories: $100 or less per article
• Computers: $1,000 or less per item
• Related computer hardware: $500 or less per item
• School supplies (notebooks, paper, pens, pencils, crayons, art supplies, staples, staplers, scissors and rulers): $30 or less per item
• School supplies (backpacks, maps and globes): $100 or less per item

Ohio

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 2-4

• Clothing: $75 or less
• School supplies and instructional materials: $20 or less

Oklahoma

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 2-4

• Clothing and footwear: $100 or less

South Carolina

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 2-4

• Clothing, accessories, shoes, school supplies, backpacks, computers, printers and printer supplies, computer software, bed linens and bath accessories: No price limits for tax exemption

Tennessee

Sales tax holiday: July 26-28

• Clothing and footwear: $100 or less per article
• School and art supplies: $100 or less per item
• Computers: $1,500 or less per item

Texas

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 9-11

• Clothing and footwear: Less than $100
• School supplies and backpacks: Less than $100

Virginia

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 2-4

• Clothing and footwear: $100 or less
• School supplies: $20 or less

Wisconsin

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-4

• Clothing and school supplies: $75 or less per item
• Computers: $750 or less per item
• Computer supplies: $250 or less