By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-05 09:36:28 | Updated at 2026-08-05 23:45:27
16 hours ago
For families struggling with rising costs, there's some short-lived relief on the way.
Temporary sales tax holidays are once again rolling out nationwide, helping families sidestep one of the most frustrating checkout costs just as school shopping reaches its peak.
According to WalletHub, seventeen states are offering sales-tax 'holidays,' targeting back-to-school essentials like clothing, footwear, electronics and sports equipment.
That means shoppers will not have to pay the pesky added sales tax on school essentials - but only for a limited time. Some states provide only a weekend to shop, while others expanded the tax break into week-long, or even month-long, events.
And for cost-conscious parents, this can be a big help, especially now that a typical basket of school supplies costs 7.7 percent more this year than last - and typical lunch now costs 10.9 percent more. However, it's only available in certain states.
Florida has one of the country's longest back-to-school tax holidays, lasting from July 20 through August 20. From that time, clothing, school supplies, backpacks and computers within specified price limits are exempt from state sales tax.
Missouri also allows shoppers to avoid sales tax on qualifying computers costing up to $1,500, software, graphing calculators, clothing and school supplies during its August holiday.
Texas remains one of the nation's most popular tax-free weekends, exempting many school supplies, clothing and backpacks priced under $100 from August 7 through August 9. But unlike neighboring states, most computers are not included.
Some stores offer 'Back to School' sales, including major retailers like Walmart and Target
Meanwhile, Connecticut expanded its program by increasing the qualifying price limit for clothing and footwear to a whopping $300 per item.
But not every state is participating in the program - states like California, New York and Pennsylvania do not hold annual back-to-school sales tax holidays.
New Jersey previously operated a back-to-school sales tax holiday but has since repealed the program.
States not offering a back-to-school sales tax holiday are: Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon already have no sales tax, meaning shoppers there technically enjoy tax-free purchases year-round. For other states that aren't so lucky, shoppers face a sales tax that can climb as high as 7 percent.
And the timing could hardly be better.
Data from Groundwork Collaborative suggests families with children in K-12 schools will spend an average of roughly $864 per student this year, while college students are expected to cost families well over $1,400 on average once computers, dorm supplies and textbooks are factored in.
'Parents already have a lot on their plates thanks to inflation and high debt levels, and they’re fed up with schools adding to their burden,' WalletHub editor John Kiernan said.
A whopping 83 percent of parents think the overall cost of education has gotten 'out of control'
He added that most parents think schools 'ask them to buy too much' during back-to-school season.
A new WalletHub survey found that 83 percent of parents think the overall cost of education is 'out of control.'
A tip that the website offers is going 'across state lines' to do stock up on the necessities.
They also suggest making more than one shopping trip to maximize your tax-free purchases. If the purchase limit doesn't cover everything you want to buy in a single transaction, you can check out multiple times or ask the cashier to split your items into separate transactions.
