Back to school means Sales Tax Holidays for many states around the country. States including Missouri, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee have created a sales tax holiday weekend for parents and students who can save on the cost of back-to-school clothing and supplies.
Most states have certain requirements for purchases that fall under sales tax exempt. For example, in my state of Missouri, purchases that are sales tax exempt for the sales tax holiday weekend are clothing items (including shoes, underwear, etc.), school supplies, and computers. You cannot purchase a car during this weekend and expect it to be sales tax free.
I usually purchase the bulk of my items during the sales tax holiday weekend in order to save as much money as I can. Last year, I saved about $100 by buying during the tax free weekend. The year before, I saved almost $300.
Even if you don’t have a child going back to school, you can still participate in the sales tax free weekend as long as you are purchasing items under your state’s guidelines.
Below is a comprehensive list of 2012 Sales Tax Holiday Weekend Dates by State. You may want to check your state’s website to see the specifics of what is and what isn’t covered.
Via Wikipedia:
| Alabama | clothing, computers, school supplies, books | 1st weekend in August | 3 |
| Arkansas [5] | clothing, school supplies, books | 1st weekend in August | 2 |
| Connecticut | clothing | 3rd week in August | 7 |
| District of Columbia | clothing, school supplies | August and November | 9 |
| Florida | clothing, school supplies, books | 2nd week in August | 3 |
| Georgia | clothing, school supplies, computers | 1st weekend of August | 4 |
| Iowa | clothing | 1st weekend of August | 2 |
| Louisiana [6] | all TPP – $2,500, hurricane preparedness items – $1,500, firearms, ammunition and hunting supplies | 1st weekend of September | 2 |
| Massachusetts[7] | school supplies, computers, sports equipment, health & beauty aid | 2nd weekend of August | 2 |
| Maryland [8] | clothing & footwear | August 14–20 | 7 |
| Energy star products | Feb. 19-21, 2011 | 3 | |
| Missouri[9] | clothing, school supplies, computers | 1st weekend in August | 3 |
| New Mexico | clothing, school supplies, computers | 1st weekend of August | 3 |
| North Carolina | clothing, school supplies, computers, sport equipment | 1st weekend of August | 3 |
| Oklahoma | clothing | 1st weekend of August | 3 |
| South Carolina | clothing, school supplies, computers | 1st weekend of August | 3 |
| Tennessee | clothing, school supplies, computers | 1st weekend of August | 3 |
| Texas[10] | clothing, diapers, backpacks, school supplies | 3rd weekend of August | 3 |
| Virginia | clothing, school supplies, green appliances, hurricane preparedness items | May, August, October | 3 |
Very good to know. Last year my friend came to town from out of state and they racked up. Never dismiss a savings.