A tax-free weekend is when a state suspends its sales tax on purchase categories such as clothing, school supplies, or storm-preparedness gear. More than a dozen states run at least one of these holidays each year, and each state sets its own dates, exempt categories, and price caps.

Below, we’ll cover which states have holidays scheduled for 2026, which items typically qualify, and how the exemption works for businesses selling online, in stores, or both.

Key takeaways

• Each state sets its own dates, categories, and price caps for tax-free weekends. Those details can shift each year.

• An order placed during the holiday window typically qualifies even if it ships afterward. That creates specific challenges for online and omnichannel sellers.

• Businesses that map their product catalogs to accurate tax codes and update their systems in advance can avoid costly errors at checkout.

What is a tax-free weekend?

A tax-free weekend is a set window, usually two to four days, when a state suspends its sales tax on specific categories of purchases. State legislatures create these windows: the timing, exempt categories, and price caps differ by state and can shift from one year to the next.

Which states have tax-free weekends in 2026?

In 2026, more than a dozen states will run at least one sales tax holiday, though legislatures can adjust dates, caps, or cancel a holiday as budgets change.

Here are the planned tax-free weekends specifically for back-to-school season:

• Texas: First weekend of August. Clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks under $100 per item qualify.

• Florida: Nearly two weeks in late July and early August. School supplies that cost $50 or less, clothing and footwear of $100 or less, and computers of $1,500 or less qualify.

• Alabama: Third weekend of July. Clothing, computers, school supplies, and books qualify.

• Missouri: First Friday through Sunday of August. Clothing of $100 or less, school supplies of $50 or less, and computers of $1,500 or less qualify.

• Tennessee: Last weekend of July. Clothing and school supplies of $100 or less, and computers of $1,500 or less qualify.

• South Carolina: First weekend of August. Eligible clothing, school supplies, and computers qualify.

• Ohio: Three days in August. Clothing priced at $75 or less, school supplies priced at $20 or less, and school instructional materials priced at $20 or less qualify.

• Massachusetts: Weekend in mid-August. Most retail purchases up to $2,500 qualify, one of the broadest exemptions on this list.

• Virginia: Three-day weekend in early August. Back-to-school items (school supplies of $20 or less and clothing and footwear of $100 or less per item), hurricane-preparedness supplies, and energy-efficient appliances qualify.

• West Virginia: First weekend of August. Certain clothing of $125 or less, computers of $500 or less, and school supplies of $50 or less qualify.

• New Mexico: First weekend of August. Clothing or shoes less than $100 per unit, computers for $1,000 or less, and school supplies under $30 per unit qualify.

• Iowa: Second weekend of August. Clothing and footwear under $100 per item qualify.

• Connecticut: Week in August. Clothing, footwear, and backpacks less than $300 per item qualify.

• Maryland: Week in August. Eligible apparel and footwear priced at $100 or less per item qualify.

• Mississippi: Weekend in mid-July. Clothing, footwear, or school supplies under $100 per item qualify.

• Oklahoma: Second weekend of August. Clothing and footwear under $100 per item qualify.

• Arkansas: First weekend of August. Clothing under $100 and accessories under $50 qualify.

Illinois doesn’t have a tax-free weekend for back-to-school shopping, but it does lower the tax rate for a ten-day period in August, during which certain clothing and school-related items have reduced sales tax.

While back-to-school shopping is the common theme of tax-free weekends, a handful of states hold sales tax holidays for other reasons. Alabama, for example, holds a severe weather preparedness sales tax holiday in February, and Florida holds a hunting, fishing, and camping sales tax holiday from September through December.

If you have sales tax nexus in more than one of these states, build a single calendar covering all of them rather than tracking each one separately.

What items are exempt during a tax-free weekend?

Exemptions come down to two variables: the category of item and the price cap tied to that category. Each state has its own rules for what qualifies, but there are some general patterns.

• Clothing and footwear: States usually cap this at $100 per clothing or footwear item, though South Carolina has no cap and Massachusetts extends its exemption to nearly all retail goods up to $2,500.

• School supplies: States usually cap this at $50 or less per item, such as notebooks, pens, and backpacks.

• Computers and accessories: States usually cap this between $500 and $1,500 for computers; less for hardware and accessories.

• Disaster preparedness items: Where these exist, they cover generators, batteries, tarps, and portable radios, each with its own cap.

• Energy-efficient appliances: A smaller set of states exempts Energy Star or WaterSense-rated products, usually with a higher cap such as $2,500 per unit.

The price cap applies per item, not per transaction.

How do tax-free weekends affect online and omnichannel sellers?

Online and omnichannel sellers need to be aware of where their customers are and the tax rules in effect at the time of sale. A business selling into several states at once can see the same stock keeping unit (SKU) taxable in one state and exempt in a neighboring one during the same weekend. Tax treatment generally depends on order timing, not shipment timing. If an order gets placed and paid for during the holiday window, many states treat it as tax-exempt even if the item ships after the holiday ends.

Orders with multiple items might need more than one tax treatment. If a customer orders a $120 item and $40 item together, you might need to tax the higher-priced item and exempt the cheaper item, depending on the state’s thresholds.

Marketplace facilitator rules can shift the responsibility for applying the correct tax treatments. In many states, a marketplace is responsible for collecting and remitting tax on behalf of the businesses selling through it, which means the platform, not the individual seller, has to apply the holiday correctly.

How can your business prepare for a tax-free weekend?

Start by identifying which states you have nexus in that observe a sales tax holiday. Then, confirm the dates and caps early. State departments of revenue usually publish official guidance a few months out. The details can change from the prior year. Update your point-of-sale (POS) and checkout systems before the holiday starts with the correct rates and caps. Make sure staff is trained on how to handle split transactions and returns with holiday tax treatment.

It’s also worth double-checking your product catalog for correct tax codes. Exempt eligibility depends on how an item gets categorized: a backpack coded as a general accessory instead of a school supply can get taxed incorrectly. Afterwards, keep records of exempt sales. You’ll need them for your own sales tax filings, since exempt sales still have to be reported even though no tax was collected.

Which tools help your business handle sales tax holidays automatically?

Tools such as Stripe Tax calculate the right amount of sales tax on each transaction based on where the customer’s located, what you’re selling, and whether a sales tax holiday applies at that moment. It does this by matching each product’s assigned tax code against the jurisdiction’s rules in effect on that date.

The part that takes the most setup is the product tax code. Stripe Tax uses this code to determine how an item should be treated in any given jurisdiction. Assigning the right code to clothing, school supplies, or computer accessories up front is what lets the exemption apply correctly once the holiday hits.

Stripe Tax also tracks where a business has crossed the threshold for sales tax obligations in a new state, which matters heading into a holiday season. A business that gained nexus in a state mid-year needs to start applying that state’s rules, holiday included, from that point forward.

How Stripe Tax can help

Stripe Tax reduces the complexity of tax compliance so you can focus on growing your business. Start collecting taxes globally by adding a single line of code to your existing integration, clicking a button in the Dashboard, or using our powerful API.

Stripe Tax helps you monitor your obligations and alerts you when you exceed a tax registration threshold based on your Stripe transactions. It can also register to collect tax on your behalf in the US, automate US filings in the Dashboard, and manage global filings through trusted partners. Stripe Tax automatically calculates and collects sales tax, VAT, and GST on:

• Digital goods and services in all US states and over 100 countries

• Physical goods in all US states and 42 countries

Stripe Tax can help you:

• Understand where to register and collect taxes: See where you need to collect taxes based on your Stripe transactions. After you register, switch on tax collection in a new state or country in seconds. You can start collecting taxes by adding one line of code to your existing Stripe integration, or add tax collection with the click of a button in the Stripe Dashboard.

• Register to pay tax: If you need to register for sales tax in the US, let Stripe manage your tax registrations. You’ll benefit from a simplified process that prefills application details—saving you time and simplifying compliance with local regulations. If you need help registering outside of the US, Stripe partners with Taxually to help you register with local tax authorities.

• Automatically collect tax: Stripe Tax calculates and collects the right amount of tax owed, no matter what or where you sell. It supports hundreds of products and services and is up-to-date on tax rules and rate changes.

• Simplify filing: Stripe Tax automates US filings in the Dashboard, powered by TaxJar. For global filings, Stripe Tax seamlessly integrates with filing partners, so your global filings are accurate and timely. Let our partners manage your filings so you can focus on growing your business. US tax filings can be automated in the Stripe Dashboard, powered by TaxJar.

Learn more about Stripe Tax, or get started today.