Shopping Savings: Tax-Free Weekend 2020

The new school year is upon us, and the thought of stocking up on fresh notebooks, pencils and binders is both exciting and daunting. All those school supplies, electronics, plus new clothes, tend to add up quickly unless, that is, you can get all you need during tax-free weekend. During tax-free weekend, some states cut sales tax on certain items and make back-to-school shopping a little more affordable. Most large retailers like Walmart, Amazon, & Target will be participating. This year, many states are participating, along with five—Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon—that never charge sales tax. When is tax-free weekend? It varies by state. But be aware that most of the tax holidays begin at 12:01 a.m. and end at midnight. If your state doesn’t offer this perk, it may be time to take a road trip. This list courtesy of RetailMeNot.

Tax-Free Weekend Dates and Deals By State for 2020

Connecticut When: August 16–August 22 What: Connecticut goes sales-tax free for an entire week! Enjoy zero sales tax on clothing and footwear costing less than $100 per item. Athletic uniforms and gear excluded. Florida When: August 7–August 9 What: Dodge tax on clothing, footwear and certain accessories selling for $60 or less per item, certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item and computers up to $1,000. Iowa  When: August 7–August 8 What: Clothing or footwear selling for less than $100 is not taxed this weekend. This excludes backpacks, handbags and athletic uniforms. Maryland When: August 9–August 15 What: Maryland spoils you for a week with no sales tax. Pay no sales tax on clothing and footwear priced under $100 (excludes accessories) and the first $40 of a backpack purchase. Massachusetts When: August 29–August 30 What: All retail goods priced at $2,500 or less, except motor vehicles, motorboats, meals, telecommunication services, gas, steam, electricity, tobacco products, marijuana and marijuana products. Missouri When: August 7–August 9 What: Any article of clothing, including footwear, with a taxable value of $100 or less; school supplies not to exceed $50 per purchase; graphing calculators not to exceed $150; computer software with a taxable value of $350 or less; and personal computers less than $1,500. New Mexico When: August 7–August 9 What: Clothing or shoes priced at less than $100 per item; computers at $1,000; related computer hardware at $500; and school supplies for $30 or less. Note that retailers are not required to participate in New Mexico’s tax-free weekend, so ask before you buy! Ohio When: August 7–August 9 What: Clothing priced at $75 per item or less, school supplies or school instructional material priced at $20 per item or less and instructional materials less that $20 per item. Oklahoma When: August 7–August 9 What: Clothing and footwear priced under $100. Accessories, athletic footwear and protective gear is excluded. South Carolina When: August 7–August 9 What: Clothing, computers, accessories, school supplies, computers and select home goods. Texas When: August 7–August 9 What: Most clothing, footwear, school supplies, swimwear and backpacks priced less than $100 are free from sales and use taxes. Virginia  When: August 7–August 9 What: School supplies at $20 or less per item and qualified clothing and footwear at $100 or less per item. States Not Participating in This Year Arizona California Colorado Georgia Hawaii Louisiana Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Maine Michigan Minnesota Nebraska Nevada New Jersey New York North Carolina North Dakota Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Dakota Utah Vermont Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming