Back To School Shopping Guide: Tax-Free Weekend

It’s tax-free weekend across several states and now is the perfect time to get back to school shopping done.

Tax-Free weekend gives consumers the opportunity to shop without accruing sales tax at the register. Most items are tax exempt including: clothing, footwear, school supplies, face masks, and backpacks. Uniforms for school and first-responders (nurses, police, fire, military, postal, and other careers) are also tax exempt.

Many stores have launched back-to-school sales and consumers are already saving big on top of having discounted items.

Walmart has priced tons of supplies for under $1.00. Wide Ruled spiral notebooks are as low as $0.25 each. A pack of 24 Crayola Crayons are marked down to $0.50 each. Elmer’s Glue sticks are priced as low as $0.54 each.

Competing stores like Kroger have launched 10 for $10 bundle deals giving consumers huge savings. A pack of 3 Paper Mate® erasers, a 10-pack of BIC® ballpoint pens, and 100 sheet composition notebooks are all priced at $1.00 each.

Another great choice for back-to-school shopping is Target. School supplies are priced as low as $0.25 each. Classroom essentials like disinfecting wipes, Kleenex®, and hand soap can be found for all under $5.00. Clothing items are even eligible for tax free weekend and can be found for as low as $5.00. Huge savings!

Comparing prices and shopping 100% online, I was able to complete my first graders school supply shopping list for a little under $40 and stock up on a few outfits for under $100 each.

I think it’s important to note that online sales are also eligible for tax-free weekend.

When is tax-free weekend for your state?

According to Good Morning America, dates for tax-free weekend are as follows:

• Arkansas Aug. 6-7
• Connecticut Aug. 21-27
• Florida July 25 -Aug. 7
• Iowa Aug. 5-6
• Massachusetts Aug. 14-20
• Mississippi July 29-30
• Missouri Aug. 5-7
• New Mexico Aug. 5-7
• Ohio Aug. 5-6
• Oklahoma Aug. 5-7*
• South Carolina Aug. 5-7
• Tennessee July 29-31
• Texas Aug. 5-7
• Virginia Aug. 5-7
• West Virginia Aug. 5-8

Items marked with(*) has specific items that are exempt from tax-free sales. Only clothing items are eligible.

Back-To-School Supply Drives: Giving Back To Students In Need

While shopping this weekend, there are several back-to-school drives that could use your help. One in particular is Today’s Living Word Church (TLW) with Dr. Michael and Dr. Martiese Lindsay.

They are collecting donations to help students in need and have pledged 30 backpacks and supplies. During their Live Stream Sunday Service, a member of the congregation pledged to match their goal to add an additional 30 backpacks of his own. If you’re able to donate or sponsor a child, please feel free to donate using the information above.

All donations to TLW are tax-deductible and can be used as a tax-write off for the upcoming tax year.

Have a safe and fun tax-free shopping weekend.