17 States With Sales Tax Breaks This Summer

Who doesn’t love summer? Longer days, warmer weather, tax-free shopping.

States across the nation kick off sales tax holidays in July and August. Stroll into your favorite store during these windows of time, and you may be able to purchase items without being charged state sales tax.

Think of it as a way to boost your savings — and a rare opportunity to get an upper hand on the taxman.

During many of these summer sales tax holidays, back-to-school items are exempt, including everything from clothes to school supplies. Other states extend the savings to things like personal computers.

At least three states — Florida, Mississippi and Tennessee — have sales tax holidays this summer that have nothing to do with back-to-school supplies.

Holiday dates and the spending caps for exempt items also differ from state to state. So, check your state’s rules before heading to the store. For most of the states in the following list, you can click on the state name to learn more.

States with upcoming sales-tax holidays include:

1. Alabama: July 15-17
2. Arkansas: Aug. 6-7
3. Florida:
   • July 1-7 (Freedom Week Sales Tax Holiday)
   • July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023 (Sales Tax Exemption Period on Children’s Diapers and Baby and Toddler Clothing, Apparel, and Shoes)
   • July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023 (Sales Tax Exemption Period on New Energy Star Appliances)
   • July 1, 2022-June 30, 2024 (Sales Tax Exemption Period on Impact-Resistant Doors, Garage Doors, and Windows)
   • July 25-Aug. 7 (Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday)
   • Sept. 3-9 (Sales Tax Holiday for Tools Commonly Used by Skilled Trade Workers)
4. Illinois: Aug. 5-14
5. Iowa: Aug. 5-6
6. Maryland: Aug.14-20
7. Massachusetts: Aug. 13-14
8. Mississippi:
   1. July 29-30 (Sales Tax Holiday)
   2. Aug. 26-28 (Second Amendment Weekend)
9. Missouri: Aug. 5-7
10. New Mexico: Aug. 5-7
11. Ohio: Aug. 5-7
12. Oklahoma: Aug. 5-7
13. South Carolina: Aug. 5-7
14. Tennessee:
    • July 29-31 (the state’s usual back-to-school sales tax holiday)
    • Aug. 1-31 (a returning sales tax holiday for groceries)
    • July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023 (a recently extended sales tax holiday for gun safety items)
15. Texas: Aug. 5-7
16. Virginia: Aug. 5-7
17. West Virginia: Aug 5-8

According to the Sales Tax Institute, statewide sales tax rates range as high as 7.25% in California — and 11.5% in Puerto Rico — not counting any local sales taxes. So, you stand to save a nice bit of cash by taking advantage of sales tax holidays.