Tax-Free Holiday: Dates for Back-to-School Savings in Every State (2024)
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As the back-to-school season approaches and hurricane preparedness becomes a priority, many states offer a unique opportunity to save money: the tax-free holiday. This special event allows shoppers to purchase certain items without paying sales tax, offering significant savings on essential goods.
Whether you're purchasing notebooks, laptops, or new outfits for the school year, or even emergency equipment, this limited-time event can make a big difference in your overall spending.
However, tax-free holidays don't happen for the entire country; each state has a different time of the year for tax-free sales. In this article, we’ll explore the advantages of the tax-free holiday and help you identify the dates during these periods.
While you are planning to save for school supplies during the tax-free holiday, don't forget to maximize your savings even further! Head over to Bold.org and apply for scholarships that can help cover the rest of your educational expenses.
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Create Free ProfileWhen and Where Does the Sales Tax Holiday Occur?
The tax-free holiday does not have an exact day for the whole country. It is usually an annual tax-free weekend, and not all states and territories participate in this holiday. Dates also vary by location. The best way to check if your state or territory has a sales tax holiday is by checking your region's Department of Revenue website.
Here are the states that are part of the tax-free holiday (sourced from the Federation of Tax Administrators):
- Alabama: February 23 - 25 & July 19 - 21
- Alaska: Oct. 31, 2023 - March 31, 2024
- Arkansas: Aug. 3 - 4
- Connecticut: Aug. 18 - 24
- Florida: January 1–14 & June 1-14 & July 1–31 & July 29–Aug. 11 & Aug. 24 - Sept. 6 & Sept. 1–7
- Iowa: Aug. 2-3, 2024
- Louisiana: Sept. 6-8, 2024
- Maryland: Feb. 17-19, 2024
- Massachusetts: TBA
- Mississippi: July 12 - 14 & Aug. 30 - Sept. 1, 2024
- Missouri: April 19 - 25 & Aug. 2-4, 2024
- Nevada: Oct. 25-27, 2024
- New Mexico: Nov. 30, 2024 & Aug. 2-4, 2024
- Ohio: July 30 - Aug. 8
- Oklahoma: Aug. 2-4, 2024
- Puerto Rico: May 2024
- South Carolina: Aug. 2-4, 2024
- Tennessee: July 26-28, 2024 & July 26-28, 2024
- Texas: April 27-29, 2024 & May 25-27, 2024 & Aug. 9-11, 2024
- Virginia: Aug. 2-4, 2024
- West Virginia: Aug. 2-5, 2024
You can find more details about the eligible items for each date on the Federation of Tax Administrators website.
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Eligible Items for the Sales Tax Holiday Exemption
The eligible items for the sales tax holiday will vary by state. The states that offer more sales tax holidays to their residents are Florida and Texas. People from Florida often benefit from this event because they are often victims of hurricanes, and the government wants to ensure they face this natural disaster with enough supplies.
What Is Included in Florida's Tax-Free Holiday?
There are qualifying items that are tax-exempt during sales tax holidays in Florida. In September of 2024, people who work in construction will have a tax-free holiday prepared for them. Items that can be used for personal use, such as work gloves, duffle bags, plumbing inspection equipment, work boots, and tool boxes, are some of the items in which the total price is exempt from sales tax.
If you or your parents don't work in construction, don't worry, there are other sales tax holiday exemption in Florida. The pescatarian culture is highly embraced in Florida, and they are not excluded from this event. Some of the items that are not charged sales tax are goggles, life jackets, water skis, surfboards and canoes.
Additionally, the state of Florida often faces natural disasters, and the government understands that its people need supplies during hurricane events. Some of the tax-free products available are dog and cat food, can openers, reusable ice, pet beds, two-way radios, batteries, portable power banks, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers.
The most popular tax-free holiday is the back-to-school event. More on that next!
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Back to School Tax-Free Holiday in Florida
During the back-to-school sales tax holiday, it is important to buy qualifying school supplies. Some of the exempt sales products are:
- Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles for $30 or less
- Most school supplies that are less $50 or less
- Clothing, footwear, and accessories that are $100 or less
- Computers and related accessories that are $1500 or less
During this time of year, both parents and students can benefit significantly by saving on essential items needed for the upcoming school year. It's an ideal opportunity to stock up on everything from basic supplies to tech gear, ensuring that students are well-prepared while keeping the family's budget in check.
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How to Take Advantage of the Sales Tax Holiday
Before going to purchase products, it is always advisable that you make a list. When I needed to buy specific school supplies, I would always write down what items I really needed to buy. Although in New York, where I went to university, doesn't have a sales tax holiday, I always looked at promotion opportunities to save money.
Before leaving home, I would check the items I wanted to purchase online, and later, if I noticed that the delivery fee was too expensive, I would go to the store. Therefore, online shopping can be a great idea, but always compare prices with other stores in your city. Online purchases may seem to be a great option because we can save time, but that doesn't mean they are always the cheapest.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Tax-Free Holiday
Who is exempt from paying sales tax during the tax-free holiday in Massachusetts?
According to the official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, corporations and businesses have to pay taxable sales even during the tax-free holiday. Individuals who make purchases for businesses also have to buy tax-paid products.
Are there any purchase limits for tax-exempt items during tax-free holidays?
Each state has a different rule regarding price limits, but it is common for eligible items to have a price cap. For instance, some pieces of clothes can be exempt if they cost less than a certain amount (e.g., products less than $175 can be exempt from sales). Additionally, there could be a quantity limit for certain products, like computers.
How can I protect my personal information when shopping online during tax-free holidays?
Many people enjoy tax-free holidays and shop from the comfort of their homes. Shopping with your family while spending time with your loved ones can be great. However, hackers are often aware of that and will likely try to catch people off guard.
Therefore, it is important always to check the websites on which you are shopping. Having an updated antivirus is always recommended, but also ensure that the websites you are navigating and making payments on have an https before the www. Additionally, it is advisable to check customer reviews, and last but not least, use strong passwords, avoid public Wi-Fi, and keep your software updated.
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About Caio
Caio is a dedicated content writer and researcher with a strong focus on psychology, education, and social justice. He has extensive experience in topics such as work-study, financial aid, internships, and scholarships.
Caio holds a B.A. in Psychology from Columbia University in the City of New York. He has explored various topics, including educational bilingualism, social psychology, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience.
Experience
Caio's journey in writing and research began at LaGuardia Community College in 2019. He explored educational bilingualism in New York, analyzing how bilingualism is prioritized in specific areas and its impact on children's cognitive abilities compared to monolingual education. He also investigated social psychology topics, focusing on the discrimination faced by African Americans, from microaggressions to mass incarceration, and the resulting mental health issues such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety.
After transferring to Columbia University in 2021, Caio further honed his writing and research skills. His work included examining the portrayal of Latinos as criminals in Hollywood and the societal biases this image perpetuates. He also researched cognitive psychology topics, such as the effects of work-life balance on mental health and the interplay between work identity and life identity. Additionally, Caio participated in neuroscience research, assisting with MRI studies to understand spatial behavioral navigation, the hippocampus's role in memory and orientation, and evaluating treatments for Ideomotor Apraxia.
Since joining the Bold.org team in 2024, Caio has leveraged his extensive background to help students navigate their educational journeys. His personal experiences as an immigrant navigating the U.S. educational system, from paying student loans to winning scholarships, and his work with a nonprofit supporting low-income adults in pursuing higher education have fueled his passion for education and social equity.
Caio is driven by his desire to make a meaningful impact. Through his creative and engaging writing, he addresses relevant issues with the powerful art of storytelling. He aims to provide valuable insights and resources to students, helping them understand the nuances of college life and the support available to them.
Quote from Caio
"The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one." -Malcolm S. Forbes
"My interpretation of this quote is that our minds can be fulfilled by 'empty' ideas, which means that we are not looking for further sources to fulfill our minds but those in our comfort zone. However, when we educate ourselves, we dive into a world of complexities beyond our imagination. It is like taking a trip to a very different country. We become members of a continuous legacy created by beings like us in which we have developed our ability to use a wonderful human tool: language. Sharing educated theories through language is how humans can easily contribute to one another's successes. Why not be open to education?"