Shopping for back-to-school essentials or personal items can see you pocket extra cash during sales tax holidays, potentially sparing you the usual tax burden.
**Back-to-School Shopping Just Got a Little Easier: Sales Tax Holidays Across the U.S.**
In 2025, several states in the United States are offering sales tax holidays, providing relief to families preparing for the new school year. These events offer tax exemptions on a variety of back-to-school essentials such as clothing, footwear, school supplies, and electronics.
One of the most generous tax holidays can be found in South Carolina, where there are no price limits for tax exemption on items including clothing, accessories, shoes, school supplies, backpacks, computers, printers and printer supplies, computer software, bed linens, and bath accessories. Texas and Tennessee also offer similar exemptions, with limits on certain items.
In Arkansas, clothing, footwear, school supplies, and instructional materials can be purchased tax-free with no dollar limit. Virginia and Oklahoma are also offering tax holidays, with specific dates and eligible items available on their respective department of revenue or tax websites.
Some states, such as Maryland, have dollar limits on eligible items. For instance, clothing, footwear, and backpacks/bookbags can be purchased tax-free up to $100 in Maryland. West Virginia has a limit of $50 or less for school supplies and school instruction materials.
Florida, Alabama, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, and West Virginia are among the other states offering sales tax holidays this year. Each state's eligible items and price limits may vary.
It's important to note that many states cap eligible item prices, with electronics like computers often having higher or separate price limits. Some states exclude items purchased for business use, layaway plans, or rentals from the exemption. Participation is often mandatory for merchants on state and local sales taxes.
To find out more about each state's sales tax holiday, it is advisable to check the official Department of Revenue or Tax website for final details closer to the event. As some states, like Connecticut, have not yet announced specific dates, it is best to stay updated with the latest information.
This overview reflects the most current compiled data as of mid-2025 from multiple sources including CPAPracticeAdvisor, CNET, NerdWallet, and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
**Key notes:**
- Many states cap eligible item prices (commonly $100 for clothing and school supplies). - Electronics like computers often have higher or separate price limits. - Some states exclude items purchased for business use, layaway plans, or rentals from the exemption. - Participation is often mandatory for merchants on state and local sales taxes. - The scope of tax holidays may include back-to-school essentials with some variation in exact permitted items and price ceilings.
Maintaining good personal-finance is crucial during back-to-school shopping, and one way to achieve this is by taking advantage of sales tax holidays in various states. In South Carolina, for instance, there's no price limit for tax exemption on a range of items like clothing, accessories, shoes, school supplies, and electronics, which can significantly impact one's lifestyle expenses. Similarly, Texas and Tennessee offer similar exemptions, although they have limits on certain items.
