Tax-Free Weekend: Dates, Rules, And How To Save More
If you’re planning purchases for a tax-free weekend in 2027, use your state’s dates. Last year’s shopping season is over. The table separates dates published by states from those set by law and dates still awaiting an announcement.
Sales tax depends on what you buy and whether its price falls within the state’s limit. A qualifying purchase can still cost more than another store charges with tax included. Compare the full checkout amounts.
Quick answer and key takeaways
Your state decides when a tax-free weekend runs and which purchases qualify. Texas posted August 6–8, 2027 (Texas 2027 dates). Florida’s dates are July 20–August 20 by law; other states follow recurring schedules or haven’t announced dates. A date based on a recurring rule isn’t the same as a published 2027 announcement.
Before you shop
- Check whether your state’s dates are confirmed.
- Your purchase must fit an eligible category.
- “Under” a price cap excludes the cap itself.
- Check when an online purchase counts as made.
- Shipping charges and discounts may change eligibility.
- The lowest checkout total matters, including tax.
When is tax-free weekend in 2027? Dates by state
Texas’s 2027 dates are published. Elsewhere, a tax-free weekend date may follow a standing rule without a new state announcement. The table identifies which source supports the dates you’ll see below.
2027 state-by-state sales tax holiday calendar
This calendar focuses on back-to-school shopping and Ohio’s expanded holiday. All dates are for 2027. “Annual rule” dates come from the state’s recurring schedule; check its 2027 instructions for eligible purchases and limits.
| State | 2027 date or status | Main category or cap | Evidence status | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | July 16–18 | Back-to-school goods; local participation varies | Annual rule | Revenue |
| Arkansas | August 7–8 | Clothing, footwear, and qualifying school items | Annual rule | Finance |
| Connecticut | August 15–21 | Clothing, footwear; recheck cap | Annual rule | Revenue |
| Florida | July 20–August 20 | Back-to-school goods | Enacted law | Statute |
| Illinois | Not yet confirmed | Check state rules | Unconfirmed | Revenue |
| Iowa | August 6–7 | Clothing, footwear under $100 | Annual rule | Revenue |
| Maryland | August 8–14 | Clothing, footwear, and qualifying backpacks | Annual rule | Comptroller |
| Massachusetts | Not yet announced | Check state rules | Unconfirmed | Revenue |
| Mississippi | July 9–11 | Clothing, footwear, and school supplies | Annual rule | Revenue |
| Missouri | August 6–8 | School supplies: $50 per purchase* | Annual rule | Revenue |
| New Mexico | July 30–August 1 | Qualifying clothing, computers, and school supplies; gross receipts tax holiday | Annual rule | Taxation |
| Ohio | August 1–15 | Expanded goods; exclusions apply | Enacted law | Legislation |
| Oklahoma | August 6–8 | Clothing and footwear | Annual rule | Tax Commission |
| South Carolina | August 6–8 | Clothing, supplies, computers | Annual rule | Revenue |
| Tennessee | July 30–August 1 | Clothing, school supplies, and computers | Annual rule | Revenue |
| Texas | August 6–8 | Eligible items under $100 | Published | Comptroller |
| Virginia | August 6–8 | School goods; other categories | Annual rule | Taxation |
| West Virginia | July 30–August 2 | Clothing, supplies, selected computers | Annual rule | Tax |
Compare Texas 2027 dates, Florida statutory dates, and Ohio legislation for the underlying authority.
*Missouri’s current guide sets this supply cap per purchase, not per item. Recheck 2027 limits. Florida’s annual dates appear in Department of Revenue guidance. Ohio enacted its August 1–15, 2027 holiday through H.B. 479.
You get Alabama’s local tax break only where the city or county has joined.
Which 2027 dates are confirmed and which come from recurring rules?
“Published” means the agency expressly lists 2027 dates. “Enacted law” means legislation sets the period, even if consumer instructions aren’t posted. “Annual rule” dates come from a recurring schedule, not a new announcement. “Unconfirmed” means this calendar doesn’t establish a 2027 date; it doesn’t mean the state has canceled its holiday.
Don’t reuse dates from the 2026 historical calendar automatically.
Are there other types of sales tax holidays in 2027?
A disaster-supply purchase may qualify during a different holiday from school supplies. Some states hold efficient appliance events, with separate dates and product requirements that you’ll need to check.
What is a tax-free weekend?
A sales tax holiday lets you buy specified goods without paying the sales tax covered by the state’s exemption during a set period. It doesn’t make every purchase tax-free. Local taxes may still apply where participation is optional, as explained in the Alabama local rules.
Some purchases qualify for a permanent sales tax exemption that applies throughout the year. Those rules don’t depend on a holiday’s dates. Neither a temporary holiday nor a permanent sales tax exemption changes your federal income tax filing requirements.
What items qualify for tax-free weekend?
Clothing, footwear, school supplies, and computers
Buying everyday shoes, backpacks, or notebooks? Your state’s exemption may cover them. Computers need a closer look. Florida covers qualifying personal-use computers under its Florida item categories, while computers aren’t on the list of Texas eligible items.
Ohio expanded its holiday for 2027, so its 2026 school-item limits won’t tell you what qualifies. A tax-free weekend covers different purchases across states. Permanently exempt school supplies, though, don’t require you to wait for those dates.
What purchases are excluded?
Buying an item during the holiday doesn’t override an exclusion. The South Carolina exclusions leave out items you buy for business use.
Jewelry or sporting equipment may be excluded, as may rentals and repairs. A holiday doesn’t exempt everything that a participating retailer sells. Tax on an excluded item isn’t the same problem as tax charged by mistake on a qualifying purchase.
What price limits apply during tax-free weekend?
Is the cap per item or per purchase?
In Texas, qualifying clothing and school supplies must cost less than $100 (Texas price rule). That means $100 doesn’t qualify. The cap applies to each item, so your basket can exceed $100 without making every purchase taxable.
Missouri’s current guide instead limits school supplies to $50 per purchase (Missouri limits). Recheck Missouri’s 2027 limits. Connecticut’s 2026 clothing and footwear limit is less than $300 per item (Connecticut guidance), check its 2027 notice before relying on that amount.
What if the purchase exceeds a price limit?
During tax-free weekend, exceeding a cap can make the whole item taxable, not just the amount over the limit. Read the state’s rule before treating the cap as a partial exemption.
Retailers can’t split a product normally sold as one unit to bring its parts below the cap. Ohio shoppers also shouldn’t carry the state’s 2026 $75/$20 limits into 2027.
Can you shop online during tax-free weekend?
Yes, online purchases can qualify during tax-free weekend, but the website’s name doesn’t decide whether your order is exempt.
Does the delivery address determine which rules apply?
The delivery address can affect which state’s sales tax rules apply. Don’t assume your home state or the seller’s location always controls. You need the rule for where that transaction counts as a sale, along with the state’s product and price limits.
Does delivery have to happen during the holiday?
Texas allows a qualifying order completed during the holiday to arrive later without losing the exemption under its Texas online rules. Delivery during the holiday won’t exempt a purchase you completed before or after those dates.
For a declined card, Texas looks at when you resubmit payment. Completing that step after the holiday ends can cost you the exemption, despite an earlier order confirmation.
How do discounts and shipping charges affect eligibility?
Can a coupon make a purchase qualify?
In Connecticut, a coupon applied at checkout can bring an eligible item’s price below the exemption limit. A rebate paid after the sale doesn’t lower the price used for that test. The timing of the reduction matters under the Connecticut discount rules.
Check how the seller applies a manufacturer promotion; another state may treat it differently.
Can delivery fees push a purchase above the limit?
In Texas, the seller’s delivery charge counts toward the item’s selling price. Qualifying jeans priced at $95 plus $10 for delivery total $105, exceeding the strictly under-$100 limit. The whole $105 becomes taxable under the Texas delivery rules.
Look at the delivery fee before paying, even when the item itself costs less than the cap. Other states don’t necessarily use Texas’s treatment.
When is Florida's tax-free weekend in 2027?
Florida's statutory 2027 dates and qualifying purchases
Florida’s tax-free weekend runs July 20–August 20, 2027 under the Florida statute, unless lawmakers change the annual schedule before then.
These dates come from law. The state’s consumer page still describes 2026, so it isn’t a new 2027 announcement.
| Category | Current statutory price limit | Key exception |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing, footwear, eligible bags | $100 or less per item | Eligible items only |
| School supplies | $50 or less per item | Eligible items only |
| Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles | $30 or less | Eligible items only |
| Computers, accessories | $1,500 or less | Personal use only |
Check the Florida Department of Revenue‘s 2027 instructions before relying on these amounts from its 2026 guidance.
A low price won’t qualify a computer bought for business, the exemption requires noncommercial home or personal use. Sales at theme parks, entertainment complexes, airports, and public lodging establishments are excluded.
Are other Florida exemptions scheduled for 2027?
Florida’s September–December 2026 hunting, fishing, and camping program was a separate 2026 seasonal holiday. It doesn’t establish a matching 2027 event, this guide doesn’t confirm one.
How can you save more during tax-free weekend?
Check your shopping list before checkout
Use the state agency rules to check what you’ll pay before setting aside purchases for a tax-free weekend.
- Use the exemption rules for the state taxing your purchase.
- Separate published 2027 dates from annual schedule calculations.
- Look up the item itself on the exemption list.
- Read the price cap closely. Check whether it limits each item or the purchase total.
- Adjust for coupons and shipping.
- Ordering online? Verify exactly when payment must go through.
- Save the receipt showing prices and tax charged.
Is shopping during the holiday always cheaper?
No. A lower price on another day can outweigh the tax exemption. This hypothetical comparison assumes the $110 item qualifies for the holiday and uses an assumed 8% tax rate for the other purchase.
| Store/day | Item price | Assumed tax | Final price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Store A, holiday | $110 | $0 | $110 |
| Store B, another day | $100 | $8 | $108 |
Store B costs $2 less, despite charging tax. These are assumed prices, not offers from actual stores or a statement that every state exempts a $110 item.
What if a retailer charges sales tax incorrectly?
How do you request a correction?
- Check the receipt against the item purchased, its price, and the 2027 holiday dates.
- Confirm that the state’s exemption covers that sale.
- Ask the seller to refund an incorrect charge, see South Carolina refunds for its process.
- For a Texas purchase, the seller can provide Form 00-985, Assignment of Right to Refund, so you can file a refund claim with the Comptroller. See the Texas refund instructions. Other states use different procedures.
When might a retailer need help?
A retailer’s problem can go beyond refunding a customer. Improperly collected tax may leave exempt-sale records out of step with the sales tax return. Our sales tax services include Florida sales and use tax filing and calculation support. We handle multistate requirements when that work falls within the agreed scope.
Frequently asked questions
Does every state have a sales tax holiday in 2027?
No. States may offer an annual tax-free weekend, await an announcement, or have none. Having no broad sales tax year-round is a separate state policy. The historical participation list doesn’t confirm 2027 dates.
Can you shop in another state during its sales tax holiday?
Yes, if the transaction meets that state’s rules. Bringing goods home may raise use-tax questions, meaning tax on purchases used there. Check destination requirements as well as Texas shopping guidance.
Does local sales tax still apply?
It can. Alabama local participation depends on the city or county joining the holiday. Missouri state/local exemption covers qualifying purchases at both levels. State tax relief alone doesn’t establish the local result.
Can you return or exchange an item after the holiday?
In Connecticut, a later exchange for a like-kind item can keep the exemption if the replacement meets the price limit. South Carolina treats a return credited toward a new purchase after the holiday as a taxable new sale. Check your state’s exchange rules before replacing an item.
Can you use a rain check during the holiday?
Under South Carolina rain checks, an earlier rain check can support an eligible purchase during the holiday. Receiving one during the holiday doesn’t extend the exemption to a purchase made afterward.
Are business purchases exempt during the holiday?
Not everywhere. The South Carolina business-use rule excludes items bought for a trade or business. A product that qualifies for personal shopping may therefore remain taxable when you buy it for work.
Check your state's 2027 rules before shopping
Take your own shopping list to the state’s 2027 notice linked in the calendar. Look up what each item is and what it costs. Clothing, computers, and school supplies don’t all qualify just because you buy during the holiday. Texas has already published its dates in official state guidance; a date calculated from an annual rule has a different status.
When tax-free weekend dates aren’t posted yet, check for the next state bulletin. Last year’s calendar doesn’t confirm this year’s.
- Before totaling the basket, check how the cap applies. Some limits apply to each item; others cover the purchase.
- Online payment timing can affect eligibility. Check coupons and shipping, then compare stores’ final totals.
- Save proof of purchase: your receipt and confirmation.
