Published February 5, 2025
The Total Guide to Sales Tax Holidays 2025
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The holiday season of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah may be the most wonderful time of the year, but for shoppers and retailers, there’s another great time to celebrate: sales tax holidays.
These holidays don’t come with carols and decorations, but they can lead to major savings for customers and a sales boost for businesses. Here’s everything you need to know about sales tax holidays, including what states participate and what items are eligible for a sales tax-free weekend in 2025.
Sales tax holidays are typically weekends or weeks when select items are exempt from state sales taxes. The goal is to entice shoppers and reduce cross-border shopping, especially in areas where consumers could easily cross state lines for a lower — or sometimes non-existent — sales tax. Sales tax holidays typically only include state sales tax, meaning other local taxes aren't necessarily removed.
Modern sales tax holidays have been around since New York started the trend in 1997. However, not every state participates. Five states (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon) don’t have state sales tax, making every day a sales tax holiday. Of the remaining 45 states, 19 currently hold annual Sales tax holidays at varying levels. That number will likely continue to drop, with Virginia’s holiday set to expire in July 2025.
Sales tax holidays usually apply to in-person and online sales during the included dates. With only a few exceptions, all retailers in the state must participate in the sales tax holiday, including local businesses and national chains with locations in the state. Essentially, if a business is registered to collect sales tax in a state, it must participate, both online and in person. Most sales tax holidays run from 12:01 a.m. on the first day through midnight on the last day, so retailers need to be prepared for early bird shoppers to log on as soon as the promotion starts to take advantage of their online shopping.
Participating in a sales tax holiday is easy for customers because it doesn’t require a coupon, special code, or membership. During the selected weekend, the sales tax is automatically removed from included purchases. A select few holidays only apply to certain shoppers who pay sales tax that is later refunded. Of course, a simple experience for shoppers often requires more work for retailers to program their point-of-sale machines correctly.
Most sales tax holidays center on certain types of items, such as the following:
Some states hold multiple sales tax holidays throughout the year to include various types of products, but most only have one weekend of sales tax-free shopping on certain items. States must enact legislation about the sales tax holiday, including how frequently it will occur.
Most shoppers view sales tax as a nuisance. In many areas, consumers will cross state lines to shop in areas with a local or no sales tax, meaning some retailers are missing out on potential customers and revenue. Sales tax holidays are designed to entice shoppers to stay local or even bring in shoppers from other areas. The goal is to boost sales for retailers and stimulate the local economy. For shoppers, the deal is often a no-brainer and an automatic discount on their shopping. Considering most state sales taxes range between 5-7%, that can be a noticeable savings for customers.
However, there is some debate about the effectiveness and sustainability of sales tax holidays. Sure, the government misses out on revenue it could bring in from sales tax that weekend, but those tax breaks could lead to long-term revenue and growth as they stimulate spending and act as a jolt to the local economy. Plus, consumers tend to come for tax-free shopping but end up purchasing other items that aren’t included in the holiday and paying sales tax on those items, which can also help tax revenue.
However, some people argue that the increased sales are a moot point as customers hold off on their shopping in the days and weeks leading up to the sales tax holiday to take advantage of the savings. If a customer plans to buy a generator or computer, they often wait until the tax-free weekend to spend the same money but save on taxes. Essentially, instead of spreading the spending out over a typical month, the spending was consolidated into a single weekend that only appeared to boost sales. But this isn’t always the case: one study found that a sales tax holiday in Massachusetts increases spending over the entire month.
There’s no definitive proof either way if sales tax holidays boost the economy, so many states continue to offer them annually, figuring that if shoppers are going to spend money on big-ticket items or during busy seasons like back-to-school, losing on sales tax is a small risk to take to bring in more customers. For businesses, sales tax holidays are typically a win and can lead to bigger crowds and the chance to bring in new customers who will hopefully return to shop even after the tax promotion is over.
Dozens of states will hold sales tax holidays in 2025 on various items. Before shopping, be sure to check the details of what items are included, as most states limit sales tax exemptions on items priced over a certain amount.
Retailers should also be aware of local dates and inclusions so they can plan accordingly, including scheduling more staff if necessary to match the influx in foot traffic.
| Alabama | February 21 - 23, 2025 | Severe weather sales tax holiday: No state sales or use tax is due on certain items you may purchase to deal with severe weather (Act 2012-256, Rule 810-6-3-.66). See here for the counties and municipalities that have notified ALDOR of their decision to participate or not participate in the holiday. |
| July 18 - 20, 2025 | Annual back-to-school holiday 1. Books priced $30 or less 2. Clothing priced $100 or less 3. Computers, computer software, and school computer supplies priced $750 or less 4. School supplies priced $50 or less | |
| Alaska | Note | Alaska doesn’t have a state-wide sales tax. Local governments – which include boroughs, the Alaska equivalent of counties, and municipalities – may levy up a sales tax. |
| October 1, 2024 - March 31, 2025 | Skagway borough physical retail sales tax holiday Does not apply to: • Resales • Digital sales | |
| Arizona | None | |
| Arkansas | August 2 - 3, 2025 | Annual sales tax holiday 1. Clothing priced less than $100 2. Clothing accessories and equipment (including cosmetics and jewelry) priced less than $50 3. Electronic devices (no price restriction) 4. School supplies (no price restriction) Applies to state and local tax |
| California | None | |
| Canada GST | December 14, 2024 - February 15, 2025 | Goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) tax holiday The following goods will qualify for tax relief during the GST/HST tax holiday: • Children’s clothing meeting certain requirements • Children’s footwear meeting certain requirements • Children’s diapers • Children’s car seatsPrint newspapers • Printed books • Christmas trees or similar decorative treesFood and beverages • Children’s toys meeting certain requirements • Jigsaw puzzles • Video-game consoles, controllers or physical game media For additional information and more details on goods that qualify for the tax holiday, visit the Department of Finance Canada webpage. |
| Colorado | None | |
| Connecticut | 2025 Dates TBA | Annual back to school holiday 1. Clothing and footwear priced less than $100/item (excluding clothing accessories and protective or athletic clothing). |
| Delaware | None | Delaware doesn’t have a state-wide sales tax |
| Florida | 2025 Dates TBA | Energy star sales tax holiday Retail sale of certain ENERGY STAR appliances including: • Refrigerator/freezer units selling for $3,000 or less • Water heaters, washers or dryers selling for $1,500 or less |
| 2025 Dates TBA | Back to school holiday 1. Personal computers or personal computer-related accessories purchased for noncommercial home or personal use having a sales price of $1,500 or less 2. Items having a sales price of $100 or less per item 3. School supplies having a sales price of $50 or less per item 4. Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles having a sales price of $30 or less More information here. | |
| 2025 Dates TBA | Disaster preparedness sales tax holidays 1. Portable generators $3000 or less 2. A tarpaulin or other flexible waterproof sheeting with a sales price of $100 or less 3. An item normally sold as, or generally advertised as, a ground anchor system or tie-down kit with a sales price of $100 or less 4. A smoke detector or smoke alarm with a sales price of $70 or less 5. A fire extinguisher with a sales price of $70 or less 6. A carbon monoxide detector with a sales price of $70 or less 7. A nonelectric food storage cooler with a sales price of $60 or less Find the full list of items here. | |
| July 1-31, 2025 | Freedom month sales tax holiday 1. Admissions to live events and shows 2. Electric scooters with a price of $500 or less 3. Boating and water activity supplies 4. Camping supplies 5. Fishing supplies Find the full list of items here. | |
| 2025 Dates TBA | Tool time sales tax holiday Qualifying items commonly used by skilled trade workers, such as: • Power tools • Work boots • Tool boxes Exempt from sales tax on retail sales. Find the full list of items here. | |
| Georgia | None | |
| Hawaii | None | |
| Idaho | None | |
| Illinois | None | |
| Indiana | None | |
| Iowa | August 1–2, 2025 | Annual back to school holiday 1. Clothing and footwear – less than $100 per item (excluding clothing accessories). |
| Kansas | None | |
| Kentucky | None | |
| Louisiana | September 5–7, 2025 | Second Amendment weekend holiday 1. Firearms 2. Ammunition 3. Hunting supplies, including: • Archery items • Hunting apparel • Accessories • Safety equipment. |
| Maine | None | |
| Maryland | February 15–17, 2025 | Annual energy star holiday 1. Sales of Energy Star products, including: • Air conditioners • Washers and dryers • Furnaces • Heat pumps • Standard-size refrigerators, • Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) • Light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs • Dehumidifiers and programmable thermostats) • Solar water heaters. |
| August 10–16, 2025 | Annual back to school holiday 1. Clothing and footwear (excluding accessories) priced $100 or less per item. Visit the Maryland Comptroller’s web page for more information. | |
| Massachusetts | 2025 Dates TBA | Annual sales tax holiday During the sales tax holiday, non-business sales at retail of single items of tangible personal property costing $2,500 or less are exempt from sales and use taxes, subject to certain exclusions. Visit the Massachusetts DOR’s web page for more information. |
| Michigan | None | |
| Minnesota | None | |
| Mississippi | July 11–13, 2025 | Annual back to school holiday 1. Clothing and footwear priced less than $100/item. 2. School supplies priced less than $100/item. |
| 2025 Dates TBA | Annual 2nd Amendment holiday 1. Retail sales of firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies. “Hunting supplies” means tangible personal property used for hunting, including, and limited to: • Archery equipment • Firearm and archery cases • Firearm and archery accessories • Hearing protection • Holsters • Belts • Slings. | |
| Missouri | August 1–3, 2025 | Annual back to school holiday 1. Clothing priced $100 or less per item (excluding clothing accessories) 2. School supplies priced $50 or less per item 3. Computer Software priced $350 or less per item 4. Computers/computer peripheral devices priced $1,500 or less 5. Graphing calculators priced $150 or less per item |
| April 19–25, 2025 | Annual energy star holiday 1. All retail sales of Energy Star certified new appliances (up to $1,500 per appliance), including: • Clothes washers • Clothes dryers • Water heaters • Dishwashers • Air conditioners • Furnaces • Refrigerators •Freezers • Heat pumps | |
| Montana | None | Montana doesn’t have a state-wide sales tax |
| Nebraska | None | |
| Nevada | October 31–November 2, 2025 | National guard member holiday Purchases made by National Guard members |
| New Hampshire | None | |
| New Jersey | None | |
| New Mexico | August 1–3, 2025 | Annual Back to School Holiday1. Clothing and footwear items – less than $100 per item (excluding accessories, athletic or protective clothing or footwear) 2. School supplies – less than $30 per item 3. Computers, e-readers that have computing functions, and tablets – $1,000 or less per item 4. Certain computer related items – $500 or less per item 5. Book bags, backpacks, maps and globes – less than $100 per item 6. Handheld calculators – less than $200 per itemNOTE: Retailers are not required to participate. |
| 2025 Dates TBA | Small Business Saturday gross receipts tax holiday Receipts from the retail sale of tangible personal property if the sale of the property occurs during the period between 12:01 a.m. on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving and ending at midnight on the same Saturday (7-9-116) Requirement: the sale must be made by a seller that carries on trade or business in New Mexico, maintains its primary place of business in New Mexico, has employed no more than ten employees at any one time during the previous fiscal year, and the business must not be a franchise. Requirement: this deduction applies only to receipts from sales of the following items–the item is less than $500 and; the sale is for: • Clothing • Footwear • Accessories (jewelry, handbags, book bags, luggage, wallets, etc.) • Sporting goods • Camping equipment • Tools used for home improvement, gardening and automotive maintenance and repair •Books, journals, paper, writing instruments, art supplies, greeting cards and postcards, work of art (photograph, sculpture, pottery, carving, textile, basketry, artifact, etc.) • Floral arrangements and indoor plants • Cosmetics and personal grooming items • Musical instruments • Cookware and small home appliances for residential use, bedding, towels and bath accessories, furniture • Toys or games that are a physical item, product or clearly intended and designed to be used by children or families at play • Video games or game consoles and any associated accessories for the video game console • Home electronics, tablets, stereo equipment and related electronics. NOTE: special reporting is required for this deduction, see instructions for completing the Form TRD-41413, Gross Receipts Tax Return in the GRT Filer’s Kit on our web site at http://www.tax.newmexico.gov/forms-publications.aspx. This deduction will be reported by using the special business location code of D0-020 on the Form TRD-41413, Gross Receipts Tax Return. NOTE: You can locate more information on what specific items are deductible in bulletin B-200.31 Small Business Saturday Gross Receipts Tax Holiday. NOTE: This deduction is currently for receipts that fall on small business Saturday for starting calendar year 2018 until year 2025. | |
| New York | None | |
| North Carolina | None | |
| North Dakota | None | |
| Ohio | August 1–3, 2025 | Annual sales tax holiday In prior years, this holiday was limited to back to school items. With Ohio House Bill 33, the 2024 holiday was expanded to include: • Tangible personal property that is $500 or less. For more information, click here.*Only if Ohio has a budget surplus of at least $60 million. |
| Oklahoma | August 1–3, 2025 | Annual back to school holiday 1. Clothing and footwear priced less than $100/item (excluding accessories, special clothing or footwear primarily designed for athletic activity or protective use that is not normally worn except when used for athletic activity or protective use, or to the rental of clothing or footwear) |
| Oregon | None | Oregon doesn’t have a state-wide sales tax |
| Puerto Rico | 2025 Dates TBA | Hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday 1. Portable generators priced $3,000 or less 2. Specified hurricane preparedness items (no price caps) |
| July 12–13, 2025 | Annual Back to School Holiday 1. School supplies 2. School uniforms and footwear | |
| South Carolina | August 1–3, 2025 | Annual back to school holiday 1. Clothing and certain clothing accessories (excluding rentals) 2. Footwear (excluding rentals) 3. School supplies 4. Computers, printers and printer supplies and computer software (excludes items used for commercial purposes) 5. Certain bed and bath items |
| South Dakota | None | |
| Tennessee | July 25–27, 2025 | Annual back to school holiday 1. Clothing with a sales price of $100 or less 2. School supplies with a sales price of $100 or less 3. Computers with a sales price of $1500 or less Visit the Tennessee Department of Revenue web page for more information. |
| Texas | April 26-28, 2025 | Emergency preparation supplies holiday 1. Portable generators priced less than $3000/item 2. Hurricane shutters and emergency ladders priced less than $300/item 3. Other specified emergency preparation supplies priced less than $75/item |
| May 24-26, 2025 | Annual energy star holiday 1. Energy Star-qualified items: • Air conditioners priced at $6,000 or less • Refrigerators priced at $2,000 or less •Ceiling fans • Incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs • Dishwashers • Dehumidifiers • Programmable thermostats • Clothes washers 2. Water-saving products that are used or planted for conserving or retaining groundwater; recharging water tables; or decreasing ambient air temperature, and so limiting water evaporation. Examples: • Soaker/drip-irrigation hose • Moisture control for sprinkler/irrigation system • Mulch • Rain barrel • Permeable ground cover surface • Plants • Trees and grasses • Water-saving surfactants • Soil and compost. | |
| May 24-26, 2025 | Water efficient products sales tax holiday 1. Any product that displays a WaterSense Logo or Label. 2. Certain water-conserving products for residential properties, including: •Soakers or drip irrigation hoses • Moisture control systems for sprinkler or irrigation systems • Mulch • Rain collection systems • Soil and compost • Plants • Trees and grasses • Water saving surfactants • Permeable ground cover surfaces that allow water to reach water collection points. | |
| August 8–10, 2025 | Annual back to school holiday 1. Clothing and footwear priced less than $100/item (excluding accessories, athletic or protective clothing, and rentals of clothing or footwear–backpacks used by elementary and secondary students are included) 2. Most School Supplies priced less than $100/item | |
| Utah | None | |
| Virginia | 2025 Dates TBA | Three day sales tax holiday Qualified school supplies: • $20 or less per itemQualified clothing and footwear • $100 or less per itemPortable generators • $1,000 or less per itemGas-powered chainsaws • $350 or less per itemChainsaw accessories • $60 or less per itemOther specified hurricane preparedness items • $60 or less per itemQualifying Energy Star™ or WaterSense™ products purchased for noncommercial home or personal use • $2,500 or less per item |
| West Virginia | August 1–4, 2025 | Annual back to school holiday 1. An item of clothing priced at $125 or less 2. An item of school supplies priced $50 or less; 3. An item of school instruction material priced $20 or less; 4. Laptop and tablet computers, not purchased for use in a trade or business, priced at $500 or less; and 5. Sports equipment, not purchased for use in a trade or business, priced at $150 or less |
| Wisconsin | None | |
| Wyoming | None |
If you want to learn more about sales tax holidays and how to prepare your business with a smooth sales tax process year-round, contact The Sales Tax People to get started with a customized sales tax system for your business needs.
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