Tax-free weekends and tax holidays: When to save across the US

If you are looking for back-to-school supplies or holiday gifts but missed Amazon’s Prime Day, you are in luck. Amazon isn’t hosting another round of deals, but plenty of tax-free weekends are coming. Tap or click here to find out what Amazon mystery boxes are and if they’re worth the money.

Depending on where you live, some states lift the sales tax on certain goods, making them more affordable when everything else is becoming more expensive. It doesn’t happen all at once, so you’ll need to keep an eye on the calendar for your state.

Read on for a roundup of when a tax-free weekend (or week) will happen near you.

Not everything is included

What qualifies as tax-free varies state by state, so don’t expect large TVs, your favorite toys, or gourmet food to be discounted. For example, the sales tax holiday in Tennessee only covers clothing, school supplies and computers.

Retailers decide if they want to participate, but big-box stores like Walmart, Amazon and Target usually do. Even Apple is getting in on the action with a sales tax holiday for nine states, starting with Florida (July 25 – Aug. 7) and Tennessee (July 29 – 31), while the others are a few days after.

Here are the sales tax holiday weekends for the rest of the year (note that some states have several):

State Items included Dates Information
Arkansas Clothing and school supplies under $100 Aug. 6 – 7 http://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/
Connecticut Clothing and footwear under $100 Aug. 21 – 27 http://www.ct.gov/drs/
Florida Children’s books May 14 – Aug. 14 https://floridarevenue.com/
Florida School supplies under $50, clothing under $100 and computers up to $1,500 July 25 – Aug. 7 https://floridarevenue.com/
Florida Work gloves under $25, flashlight and bags up to $50, toolboxes under $75 and test equipment up to $100 Sept. 3 – 9 https://floridarevenue.com/
Illinois Clothing and school supplies up to $125 Aug. 5 – 14 https://www2.illinois.gov
Iowa Clothing under $100 Aug. 5 – 6 https://tax.iowa.gov/
Maryland Clothing and footwear up to $100 Aug. 14 – 20 http://www.marylandtaxes.com/
Massachusetts Retail items up to $2,500 Aug. 13 – 14 https://www.mass.gov/
Mississippi Clothing, footwear, or school supplies under $100 July 29 – 30 http://www.dor.ms.gov/
Mississippi Firearms, ammunition and hunting supplies Aug. 26 – 28 http://www.dor.ms.gov/
Missouri Clothing under $100, computers up to $1,500 and school supplies up to $50 Aug. 5 – 7 http://dor.mo.gov/
Nevada Purchases by National Guard Members Oct. 28 – 30 https://tax.nv.gov
New Mexico Clothing up to $100, computers up to $1,000, computer accessories up to $500 and school supplies up to $30 Aug. 5 – 7 http://www.tax.newmexico.gov
Ohio Clothing under $75 and school supplies up to $20 Aug. 5 – 7 https://www.tax.ohio.gov/
Oklahoma Clothing under $100 Aug. 5 – 7 https://oklahoma.gov/
South Carolina Clothing, school supplies and computers Aug. 5 – 7 http://dor.sc.gov/
Tennessee Clothing up to $100, school supplies up to $100 and computers up to $1,500 July 29 – 31 http://tn.gov/revenue/
Texas Clothing, backpacks and school supplies up to $100 Aug. 5 – 7 http://comptroller.texas.gov/
Virginia Clothing under $100, school supplies under $20, Energy Star products up to $2,500, hurricane preparedness items up to $60 and generators under $1,000 Aug. 5 – 7 http://www.tax.virginia.gov/
West Virginia Clothing up to $125, school supplies under $20, sports equipment up to $150 and computer tablets under $500 Aug. 5 – 8 https://tax.wv.gov/

Keep reading

Use Gmail, Hotmail or Outlook? Be on the lookout for a new tax scam

Did you pay for a ‘free’ TurboTax filing? You may be entitled to part of this $141M settlement

Tap or click here for eight tiny houses you can buy on Amazon

16 state's tax-free holidays will save you money on tech purchases

The new school year is quickly approaching, and for many, this is a very exciting time of year. It’s time to stock up on school supplies and all of your tech gear. All these purchases can add up rather quickly unless you can get everything you need during your state’s tax-free weekend. Tap or click here for 15 summer tech gadgets you didn’t know you needed.

Continue reading

Crowd pleasers? Yes, please!

🕺 Foolproof gifts that’ll have everyone saying, “You nailed it!”

  • Owala water bottles come in 21 freakin’ colors. Perfect for literally everyone on your gift list.
  • Everyone can pull off a Carhartt beanie, and they’re cool for the younglings and older folks on your list.
  • A good retro watch never goes out of style.
  • Laneige lip balm is all the rage right now. (Or should I say all La’rage?) Their scents are the best.
  • I don’t think anyone on the planet would see a box of fancy chocolate (under $15) and be sad.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

The agony of de feet: Scientists have created robotic shorts that help people walk farther using less energy. WalkON wraps around your waist with a harness and has artificial Kevlar tendons that attach to your legs. As you walk, the shorts analyze your movement patterns and help take the strain off your hips. So many people will benefit from this cool tech.

4 ways to make your holiday cards stand out

Now that the holiday season is upon us, it’s time to crack out the cards. Sure, you can send your loved ones digital messages — but those aren’t nearly as heartfelt or personal as a hand-written note that comes in the mail.

Continue reading

5 online auction websites to try if you love buying and selling on eBay

Everyone likes saving money and finding ways to put some extra cash in their pockets. Who couldn’t use a few extra bucks?

Maybe you have kids or grandkids you’re helping with college tuition. We all know how expensive that can be! Or maybe you’re just retired and living on a fixed income. If so, every dollar counts.

Continue reading

I had a joke, but someone stole it: I thought this was interesting. Radio-emitting threads could replace metal tags to stop shoplifters. A company called Myruns is behind the tech. The threads are five times thinner than a single human hair. Special ink inside the threads would transmit signals to set off alarms.

Top 10 bestselling vintage band T-shirts
spreadshirt.com

Have any of these band T-shirts sitting around? Cha-ching!

POV: The hottest career in China RN
Instagram.com/ChinaInsider

Look how some livestreamers in China who sell clothes do their work.

👕 Toxic threads: Millions of clothing items from cheap Chinese retailer Shein are packed with toxic chemicals linked to cancer, autism and infertility. They’re sold on Amazon under different names, too, with some containing over 400 times the safe levels. Check your clothes: Drop a bead of water on the fabric. If it stays beaded up, rolls around and leaves no residue, you have a problem. Return or trash it.