Florida Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Tax Holiday: Your Questions Answered

As the Florida Department of Revenue's official holiday guidance confirms, the exemption covers qualifying hunting, fishing, and camping supplies purchased between September 1 and December 31, 2026 — with different rules applying to each category.

For the complete retailer compliance guide — including the full qualifying item lists, price thresholds, and what retailers need to configure before the holiday — read our full Florida outdoor tax holiday article.

Hunting Supplies — No Price Cap

Firearms of any price qualify. A $300 handgun and a $3,000 rifle are both fully exempt through December 31. Ammunition of any price qualifies — rifle, shotgun, handgun, and rimfire rounds are all covered. Bows and crossbows of any price qualify. Firearm accessories — including scopes, optics, suppressors, holsters, magazines, cleaning kits, stocks, and triggers — all qualify with no price cap.

Fishing Supplies — Price Caps Apply

Individual bait or tackle items qualify at $10 or less. Multi-item tackle packages qualify at $20 or less. Individual fishing rods or reels qualify at $75 or less. A rod-and-reel set qualifies if the combined price is $150 or less. The individual versus set distinction matters — a $80 rod sold alone is taxable, but a $140 rod-and-reel set is exempt.

Camping Supplies — Mixed Rules

Camping stoves, portable hammocks, and collapsible camping chairs qualify with no price cap. Camping lanterns and flashlights qualify at $30 or less. Sleeping bags qualify at $50 or less. Tents qualify at $200 or less. Items above these thresholds are fully taxable — premium gear frequently exceeds the camping price caps.

What Does NOT Qualify

Hunting apparel and clothing are not covered. ATVs, off-road vehicles, boats, and watercraft are excluded. Repairs and rentals are taxable. Purchases at hotels, resorts, theme parks, and airports are taxable. Commercial and business purchases do not qualify.

Online Purchases and Gift Cards

Online orders placed and paid for during the September 1 through December 31 window qualify even if delivery occurs after December 31. The transaction date — not the delivery date — determines taxability. Gift cards purchased before the holiday can be used to buy qualifying items tax-free during the holiday. Gift cards purchased during the holiday cannot be used after December 31 to claim the exemption — the item purchase date always controls.

Still Have Questions?

The Florida Department of Revenue's official holiday page has the complete qualifying item lists and retailer guidance.

Not sure whether a specific product qualifies or need help configuring your retail systems through December 31? Book a free consultation with our team at sales.tax.

Louisiana's Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Is September 4-6. Here's What's Actually Tax-Free - And the Unique State vs. Local Rule You Need to Know.

Louisiana takes its Second Amendment seriously.

The Annual Louisiana Second Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday takes place Friday, September 4 through Sunday, September 6, 2026. During these three days, purchases of specified firearms, ammunition and hunting supplies are exempt from state and local sales taxes in Louisiana.

Three days. No price caps. No dollar limits. And the exemption covers both state and local taxes simultaneously — making this one of the most complete sales tax holidays in the country for qualifying purchases.

For hunters, shooters, and outdoor enthusiasts stocking up before fall hunting season, the timing is deliberate. For retailers selling firearms, ammunition, and hunting gear in Louisiana, the compliance obligations are specific — and include a detail about how to report exempt sales that most retailers get wrong.

Here's everything you need to know before September 4.

What Louisiana's Second Amendment Holiday Actually Is

Louisiana first approved the Second Amendment sales tax holiday in 2009. It was suspended in 2018 when the state was dealing with a significant budget shortfall — and all three of Louisiana's annual holidays went dark simultaneously.

Act 288 of the 2023 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature reinstated the sales tax holiday, which had been suspended since 2018. Lawmakers have refused to add any more exemptions beyond what was in place before the suspension.

The holiday runs by statute on the first consecutive Friday through Sunday of each September — which in 2026 falls on September 4-6. It doesn't require annual legislative reauthorization to set the dates — the statute fixes the timing automatically each year.

Louisiana has had an annual Second Amendment sales tax holiday since 2009. The 2026 edition is the fourth since the holiday was reinstated in 2023.

What's Exempt — The Full List

The exemption applies statewide to all consumer purchases of firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies. Firearms eligible for the sales tax exemption include shotguns, rifles, pistols, revolvers or other handguns which may be legally sold or purchased in Louisiana. Ammunition fired from a gun or firearm is eligible for the tax exemption.

Hunting supplies — the broadest and most expansive qualifying category — cover a wide range of gear:

Archery items such as bows, crossbows, arrows, quivers, shafts, cases, and other archery accessories; apparel including safety gear, camouflage clothing, jackets, hats, gloves, mittens, face masks, and thermal underwear manufactured and marketed as being primarily for wear or use while hunting; hunting shoes or boots designed for hunting; bags to carry game or hunting gear; tools manufactured and marketed as being primarily for use in hunting.

Beyond those categories, qualifying hunting supplies also include:

Binoculars and range finders designed for hunting use
Hearing protection designed for use while shooting
Decoys used in hunting
Hunting stands and blinds
Optics including scopes and sights designed for firearms
Cleaning supplies and kits for firearms
Safety equipment designed for hunting

No price caps apply to any of these categories. A $3,000 rifle qualifies just as fully as a $300 one. A $500 archery setup qualifies the same as a $50 set of arrows. Louisiana's Second Amendment holiday is one of the few sales tax holidays in the country with absolutely no price restriction on qualifying items.

What Does NOT Qualify

The exclusions are specific — and reflect changes made when the holiday was reinstated in 2023.

The tax exemption only applies to consumer firearm purchases and not commercial or business transactions. The break also doesn't apply to animal feed, hunting dogs, off-road vehicles and vessels such as airboats, which were allowed under previous versions of the sales tax holiday. All sales tax holidays were suspended in 2018 when Louisiana was dealing with a budget shortfall. The return of the 2nd Amendment Sales Tax Holiday last year ended that reprieve, but lawmakers have refused to add any more exemptions.

Specifically excluded from the 2026 holiday:

Hunting dogs and animals — taxable during the holiday
Animal feed — taxable during the holiday
Off-road vehicles including ATVs — taxable during the holiday even if used for hunting
Vessels including airboats and pirogues — taxable during the holiday even if designed for hunting
Golf carts, go-carts, dirt bikes, and motor vehicles — taxable during the holiday
Heavy equipment — cranes, forklifts, backhoes, bulldozers — taxable
Business or commercial purchases — the exemption is for individual consumer purchases only

The ATV and airboat exclusions are worth emphasizing because they catch people off guard. A hunter who uses an ATV to access hunting land or an airboat for waterfowl hunting might assume these qualify. They don't. The 2023 reinstatement explicitly removed ATVs and airboats from the qualifying list — a change from earlier versions of the holiday.

The Critical Compliance Detail: State vs. Local Tax Treatment

Here's the compliance nuance that most coverage of Louisiana's Second Amendment holiday misses entirely — and that most retailers don't configure correctly.

Since April 1, 2016, qualifying items have been subject to a reduced rate of state sales tax rather than a sales tax exemption during sales tax holidays in Louisiana. However, the local sales tax exemptions in place for the Louisiana Second Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday are not impacted — meaning that although state sales tax technically continues to apply at some level, qualifying items will be exempt from applicable local sales and use taxes.

In practice for 2026: purchases of specified firearms, ammunition and hunting supplies are exempt from state and local sales taxes in Louisiana. The Louisiana Department of Revenue's current guidance confirms the full state exemption applies during the holiday — the 2016 reduced-rate change has effectively been superseded by subsequent legislation for the Second Amendment holiday specifically.

The net result: qualifying purchases are exempt from both state and local taxes during the September 4-6 window. The full combined rate — Louisiana's 5% state rate plus applicable parish and municipal taxes — disappears on qualifying items.

Louisiana has some of the highest combined sales tax rates in the country — the statewide combined rate tops 10.13% on average, the highest in the nation. In some parishes and municipalities, combined rates exceed 12%. For a buyer purchasing a $1,500 rifle in a high-rate parish, that's $150 to $180 in tax savings on a single transaction.

How to Report Exempt Sales — The Filing Requirement Retailers Forget

Retailers should report exempt sales from the Annual Louisiana Second Amendment Weekend Holiday on Schedule A-3 of the state sales and use tax return (R-1029). The exempt sales during the holiday will be reported as transactions taxed at the applicable reduced rate.

This is the reporting detail that trips up Louisiana retailers every year. The exempt sales don't simply disappear from your return — they need to be specifically reported on Schedule A-3, which covers the holiday-period transactions. Omitting them from your return entirely — rather than reporting them as exempt — creates a discrepancy that can trigger review.

If you use tax software that handles Louisiana returns, confirm it will correctly populate Schedule A-3 for September 4-6 qualifying transactions. If you file manually, pull the current version of Form R-1029 and Schedule A-3 before the holiday begins.

Online Purchases Qualify — With Conditions

The following activities are eligible for the tax exemption during the three days of the sales tax holiday: buying and accepting delivery of tangible personal property; ordering tangible personal property for immediate delivery, even if shipment or delivery must be delayed, provided that the customer has not requested delayed shipment or delivery.

The critical phrase: "provided that the customer has not requested delayed shipment or delivery." An online purchase qualifies if it's ordered and paid for during the September 4-6 window for immediate delivery — even if the item doesn't physically arrive until after the holiday. But a customer who specifically requests delivery after the holiday ends has forfeited the exemption.

For ecommerce sellers with Louisiana nexus, this means orders placed and paid during the window qualify — including items shipping from out-of-state — as long as the delivery wasn't intentionally deferred by the buyer.

How Louisiana Compares to Mississippi's Second Amendment Holiday

Mississippi's Second Amendment weekend just ran August 28-30 — the week before Louisiana's. For hunters and shooters who missed Mississippi's holiday or want to maximize savings, Louisiana's September 4-6 window is a direct second opportunity.

The two holidays are similar in structure — both cover firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies with no price caps — but there are differences worth knowing:

Louisiana covers apparel specifically manufactured and marketed for hunting — camouflage clothing, hunting boots, hunting gloves. Mississippi also covers hunting apparel.

Louisiana explicitly excludes ATVs, airboats, and hunting dogs — categories that were previously included in older versions of the holiday. Mississippi's exclusions differ slightly.

Louisiana has the highest combined sales tax rate in the country at 10.13% average — meaning the dollar value of the exemption on any qualifying purchase is larger in Louisiana than in Mississippi, which has a lower combined rate.

For hunters purchasing firearms or equipment that qualify in both states, Louisiana's higher base rate means bigger savings per dollar spent.

Louisiana's Broader Tax Context

Louisiana's Second Amendment holiday is one of three annual holidays the state runs. The others are a back-to-school holiday in August covering most tangible property up to $2,500, and a hurricane preparedness holiday in May covering emergency supplies.

All three were suspended from 2018 through 2023 when Louisiana faced severe budget pressure. Their reinstatement reflects Louisiana's more stable fiscal position following the 2025 tax reform that raised the state sales tax from 4.45% to 5% while introducing a flat income tax rate — a fundamental restructuring of how Louisiana funds its government.

Louisiana's 10.13% average combined rate — the highest in the nation — makes every sales tax holiday more valuable for Louisiana consumers than comparable holidays in lower-rate states. The same exemption that saves a buyer $80 in a 7% state would save a Louisiana buyer $100 to $120 depending on the parish.

What Retailers Need to Do Before September 4

Eighteen days. Here's the compliance checklist for Louisiana firearms, ammunition, and hunting supply retailers — and ecommerce sellers shipping to Louisiana customers:

1. Identify your qualifying products. Review your inventory and confirm which items fall within the qualifying categories — firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies as defined by the Louisiana DOR. Pay particular attention to the ATV and airboat exclusions if you sell outdoor power equipment alongside hunting gear.

2. Configure your POS for the September 4-6 window. The exemption runs from 12:01 a.m. Friday, September 4 through midnight Sunday, September 6. Your system needs to apply the exemption automatically during that window — and revert to normal rates Monday morning.

3. Distinguish consumer from commercial purchases. The exemption applies to consumer purchases only. If you sell to both consumers and businesses, your system needs to handle the distinction correctly during the holiday. A retail customer buying a rifle for personal hunting use qualifies. A business buying the same rifle for commercial use does not.

4. Prepare your Schedule A-3 reporting. Don't omit holiday-period exempt sales from your return. Report them specifically on Schedule A-3 of Form R-1029 as the Louisiana DOR requires.

5. Handle online orders correctly. Orders placed and paid during September 4-6 for immediate delivery qualify — even if the item ships after the holiday. Orders where the customer specifically requested delayed delivery do not qualify.

6. Don't forget NFA items. NFA items — including suppressors and short-barreled rifles — qualify for the holiday as long as the transaction is a consumer purchase for personal use. The purchase must be completed and paid for during the holiday window — for transferred items, the transfer should be completed during the holiday period.

For a complete overview of every 2026 sales tax holiday still remaining on the calendar — including Florida's ongoing hunting, fishing, and camping holiday through December 31 — visit our complete 2026 sales tax holiday guide.

Selling firearms, ammunition, or hunting supplies in Louisiana and want to make sure your systems are configured correctly for the September 4-6 holiday — including the Schedule A-3 reporting requirement that most retailers miss? Book a free consultation with our team at sales.tax. We'll audit your Louisiana compliance setup and make sure you're reporting correctly before your first holiday-period return is due.

Tennessee's Tax-Free Weekend 2026 Is July 31 – August 2. Here's Everything You Need to Know

Tennessee's most popular shopping weekend of the year is 9 days away.

Tennessee's annual sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 31, 2026, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 2, 2026.

This year marks the 20th annual sales tax holiday — a back-to-school tradition that has been running since 2006.

Three days. No state or local sales tax on qualifying clothing, school supplies, and computers. And for a state with the second highest combined sales tax rate in the country, the savings are real.

Clothing and school supplies priced at $100 or less and personal computers priced at $1,500 or less can be purchased without paying state or local sales tax — saving Tennesseans nearly 10% on qualifying purchases.

Here's exactly what qualifies, what doesn't, and what retailers need to do before Friday.

Why Tennessee's Holiday Is Worth Planning Around

Tennessee doesn't have an individual income tax. It funds its government primarily through sales taxes — and the result is one of the highest combined rates in the country.

Tennessee's general state tax rate is 7%. Combined with local tax rates, that figure rises to 9.55% — making Tennessee the state with the second highest average combined state and local sales tax rates in the country, according to the Tax Foundation. utk

That means the tax-free weekend isn't saving shoppers 6% or 7% — it's saving them close to 10% depending on their county. On a $1,400 laptop, that's $126 to $137 in savings. On a $200 worth of clothing and school supplies, that's $18 to $20. The math works particularly well in Tennessee precisely because the regular rate is so high.

As UT taxation expert LeAnn Luna puts it: "The Tennessee sales tax holiday is a 10 percent sale — actually 9.25% to 9.75% depending on your county — on most clothing, computers, and school supplies. The question for shoppers is: would you buy the item outside the sales tax holiday weekend if the retailer offered it for a 10 percent discount? If the answer is yes, the sales tax holiday provides a good opportunity to purchase the goods."

What's Tax-Free: Clothing and School Supplies Under $100

The threshold is simple: clothing and school supplies priced at $100 or less per item may be purchased tax-free during the holiday weekend. Freetaxweekend

The $100 limit applies per item — not per transaction. A shopper buying ten $95 items pays no tax on any of them.

Qualifying clothing includes a broad range of everyday items:

Belts, caps, coats, dresses, gloves, hats, hosiery, jackets, jeans, neckties, pants, scarves, school uniforms, shirts, shoes, sneakers, socks, and underwear all qualify. Fox 17

Less obvious items that qualify include diapers for both babies and adults, bibs, baby receiving blankets, chef uniforms, and even wedding dresses — as long as they're under $100 and for personal use, not business or trade.

School supplies follow the same $100 threshold. Binders, backpacks, crayons, paper, pens, pencils, rulers, art supplies, and similar school necessities all qualify.

What's Tax-Free: Computers Under $1,500

The computer exemption is one of the most valuable parts of Tennessee's holiday — and one of the most frequently misunderstood.

Computers priced at $1,500 or less may be purchased without paying state or local sales tax. That covers laptops, desktops, and tablets used for personal purposes. Freetaxweekend

Many related items do not qualify: printers, printer supplies, printer paper, storage drives, software sold separately, computer games, and smartphones do not qualify for the sales tax holiday.

The computer exemption is per unit — a $1,400 laptop qualifies entirely. A $1,600 laptop is fully taxable — there's no partial exemption above the threshold.

What Does NOT Qualify

This is where shoppers and retailers need to be precise — and where compliance errors happen most often.

Items that do not qualify include jewelry, handbags, sports and recreational equipment, computer software sold separately, printer supplies, and household appliances. Freetaxweekend

A few specific items worth calling out:

Clothing accessories are excluded — belt buckles sold separately, briefcases, cosmetics, hair accessories, handbags, patches and emblems sold separately, sunglasses, umbrellas, and wallets are all taxable during the holiday.

Protective equipment doesn't qualify — breathing masks, face shields, hard hats, and safety vests are taxable.

Sports equipment is fully taxable — athletic pads, cleats and athletic shoes designed primarily for sport, golf bags, helmets, and similar items remain taxable even during the holiday. Note the distinction from everyday shoes: sneakers and shoes worn as regular footwear qualify, but shoes designed primarily for athletic activity don't.

Business purchases are fully taxable. The exemption applies to personal use only — a business owner buying computers or supplies for their company doesn't qualify even during the holiday weekend.

The "Can't Split Items" Rule

Items sold together cannot be split up to stay below the $100 maximum. Wate

A pair of shoes priced at $130 is fully taxable — you can't sell the left shoe for $65 and the right shoe for $65 to qualify. A matching outfit sold as a set for $180 is taxable even if individual pieces might cost less than $100 each when separated.

The rule is straightforward: the price as sold determines taxability. Retailers cannot restructure bundles or split items during the holiday weekend to manufacture qualifying prices.

Online Purchases Qualify

Qualifying items may be purchased online and in stores. Freetaxweekend

For ecommerce sellers, the qualifying window is the same as for physical stores — orders placed and paid for between 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 31 and 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 2 qualify for the exemption. Delivery after the holiday weekend doesn't affect eligibility — the transaction date determines taxability.

Tennessee's holiday is one of the few that explicitly covers both state AND local taxes. Most state holidays waive the state portion only, leaving local taxes in place. Tennessee waives both — making it a complete exemption on qualifying items during the window.

Layaway Qualifies Too

Items placed on layaway during the holiday also qualify. Fox 17

A shopper who puts a $90 pair of shoes on layaway on Saturday, August 1 — even if they don't pick them up until September — pays no tax on that purchase. The layaway placement date during the holiday determines the tax treatment.

Who Is Required to Participate

Participation in Tennessee's sales tax holiday is not optional for retailers selling qualifying items.

Stores that sell eligible items such as clothing, school supplies, and computers are required to participate if they are open during the holiday weekend. If a store or merchant sells only to other businesses or does not sell qualifying items, participation is not required.

That mandatory participation rule extends to ecommerce sellers with Tennessee sales tax nexus. If you're registered in Tennessee, sell qualifying items, and process orders during the July 31 – August 2 window, you must apply the exemption. Continuing to collect Tennessee sales tax on qualifying items during the holiday creates over-collection liability.

The Tennessee Context: The Grocery Tax That Isn't There

Tennessee's tax-free weekend gets extra attention this year because of what didn't happen in the 2026 legislative session.

We covered Tennessee's grocery tax story earlier this year — lawmakers from both parties filed more than a dozen bills to eliminate or reduce Tennessee's 4% grocery tax, but the 2026 budget passed without any grocery tax changes. Tennessee remains one of only about ten states that still impose a statewide sales tax on groceries.

The tax-free weekend is the legislature's most visible tax relief tool — three days of savings that generates genuine goodwill and media coverage, without the $800 million annual revenue impact of eliminating the grocery tax entirely.

Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano put it plainly: "Tennessee's sales tax holiday has become a back-to-school tradition for families." Tennessee Department of Revenue

It has. But for families buying groceries year-round in a state with the second highest combined sales tax rate in the country, a weekend off on clothing and school supplies is a modest benefit compared to what a permanent grocery tax change would deliver.

What Retailers Need to Do Before July 31

Nine days. Here's the compliance checklist for Tennessee retailers and ecommerce sellers:

1. Confirm your system applies the exemption to both state and local taxes. Tennessee's holiday waives both layers — not just the 7% state rate. Your POS or ecommerce tax engine needs to zero out the full combined rate on qualifying items, not just the state portion.

2. Verify the $100 clothing and supplies threshold applies per item. Configure your system to evaluate each line item independently — not the transaction total.

3. Verify the $1,500 computer threshold. Laptops, desktops, and tablets under $1,500 qualify. Peripheral equipment, software, and smartphones don't. Make sure your product taxonomy correctly separates qualifying computers from non-qualifying accessories.

4. Handle online orders correctly. Orders placed and paid for during the July 31 – August 2 window qualify — regardless of when they ship. Configure your ecommerce platform to apply the exemption based on order date, not fulfillment date.

5. Review bundle and set pricing. If you sell clothing sets, uniform bundles, or computer packages, verify that the bundled price doesn't push the item above the qualifying threshold — and confirm your system isn't splitting bundles to manufacture a qualifying price.

6. Train your staff. The most common customer service issues during a tax holiday involve items customers expect to qualify but don't — handbags, sports equipment, accessories, smartphones. Make sure your team knows the answers before the holiday starts.

The Savings — By the Numbers

At Tennessee's average combined rate of approximately 9.55%, here's what shoppers save on a typical back-to-school haul:

Item	Price	Tax Saved at 9.55%
Laptop	$1,299	$124.05
Back-to-school outfit	$85	$8.12
Sneakers	$75	$7.16
School supplies	$65	$6.21
Kids' clothing	$120 across 3 items	$11.46
Full family haul	$1,800	$171.90

A family buying a laptop and a full back-to-school wardrobe during the holiday saves close to $170. That's genuine, meaningful relief in a state where the regular rate is among the highest in the country.

For a full overview of every state's 2026 back-to-school sales tax holiday — including the massive August 7-9 weekend when Iowa, Ohio, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Virginia all run holidays simultaneously — visit our complete 2026 sales tax holiday guide.

Selling into Tennessee and want to confirm your systems are applying the correct exemption for the July 31 – August 2 holiday — or managing back-to-school holiday compliance across multiple states this summer? Book a free consultation with our team at sales.tax. We'll audit your holiday compliance setup and make sure you're collecting correctly through the entire back-to-school season.

Florida Just Rewrote Its Entire Sales Tax Holiday Calendar. Here's What Changed — And What's Gone Forever.

Florida has been running the most generous sales tax holiday program in the country for years. Freedom Month. Back-to-School. Disaster Preparedness. Tool Time. The holidays kept coming — and retailers kept adapting.

In 2025, Florida's legislature hit the reset button. And on July 1, 2026, the results of that reset took full effect.

Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 7031E on June 29, 2026. The bill took effect July 1 — bringing $272.2 million in state and local tax cuts, restructuring Florida's holiday calendar from the ground up, and permanently ending some exemptions while creating new ones that have never existed before.

If you sell into Florida — from a storefront, a website, or an ecommerce platform — your compliance setup for 2026 looks different than it did in 2025. Here's what changed, what's new, and what's gone.

Freedom Month Is Gone — And It's Not Coming Back

This is the headline that Florida shoppers are just discovering.

Florida's Freedom Month does not return on July 1, 2026. Lawmakers reorganized many of the state's tax breaks, making some permanent and moving others to different sales tax holidays.

For several years, Florida's July sales tax holiday — Freedom Month — covered an enormous range of purchases: camping gear, museum admissions, concert tickets, gym memberships, boating and fishing supplies, and more. It grew into one of the most anticipated retail events in the state.

Then in 2025, lawmakers rewrote Florida's approach entirely. Instead of renewing Freedom Month, legislators reorganized many of its tax exemptions — making some permanent year-round, moving others into different holidays, and simply letting others expire.

For consumers, the overhaul means there is less of a need to wait for a particular week — or even a particular month — to make certain purchases. Permanent exemptions are better than temporary holidays for planning purposes. But at the same time, new rules also mean that shoppers can no longer assume a familiar tax holiday will return simply because it appeared on the calendar the prior year.

For retailers, the overhaul means the compliance landscape has fundamentally changed — and last year's setup doesn't apply in 2026.

What's New: The Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Holiday

The most significant new addition to Florida's holiday calendar is a four-month sales tax holiday specifically for outdoor recreation products.

Starting September 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026, qualifying hunting, fishing, and camping supplies are exempt from Florida sales tax.

The qualifying items cover the full range of outdoor recreation gear:

Ammunition, firearms, bows, crossbows, rods and reels, fishing tackle and lures, fishing poles, tackle boxes, coolers, ice chests, outdoor grills and cooking equipment, tents, sleeping bags and ground cloths, camping stoves and fuel, lanterns, flashlights and batteries, certain knives and multi-tools, life preservers and personal flotation devices, and waders and fishing boots.

Four months — September through December — is the longest single holiday window in Florida's history. And the categories are unusually broad. Firearms and ammunition qualifying for a sales tax exemption is notable — making Florida one of only a handful of states offering explicit tax relief on these categories, alongside Louisiana and Mississippi's existing Second Amendment holidays.

For retailers selling any of these categories, September 1 is the compliance date to prepare for. Systems need to be updated to apply the exemption to qualifying items during the holiday window — and reverted on January 1.

What Moved: Back-to-School Holiday Now Starts July 20

Florida's back-to-school sales tax holiday isn't new — but its dates have shifted significantly.

The new back-to-school sales tax holiday created last year will now begin on July 20 before school starts and run through August 20 each year.

Previously, Florida's back-to-school holiday ran in early August — a timing that felt disconnected from the actual school calendar for many Florida districts that start in late July. The shift to July 20 through August 20 better aligns the holiday with when Florida families are actually shopping for school.

The move also creates a compliance wrinkle for multi-state retailers. Florida's July 20 start now overlaps with Iowa's August 7-8 holiday, Missouri's August 7-9 holiday, Texas's August 7-9 holiday, Ohio's August 7-9 holiday, and Illinois's August 7-16 holiday — meaning retailers managing multiple state holiday calendars are handling Florida separately from the August cluster.

The qualifying categories for Florida's back-to-school holiday remain consistent with prior years: clothing, footwear, school supplies, learning aids, and personal computers and related accessories. The month-long format — 32 days — remains the longest back-to-school holiday in the country by a significant margin.

For retailers, the July 20 start means back-to-school compliance in Florida begins several weeks earlier than most other states. If your systems were configured based on the old August dates, update them now.

What's New: Home Hardening Sales Tax Refund

Florida's approach to hurricane preparedness tax relief has evolved — and the new structure is meaningfully different from the temporary exemptions that preceded it.

HB 7031E allows purchasers of home hardening products — such as impact-resistant doors, garage doors, and windows — to seek a sales tax refund for purchases between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2029.

This is a refund program, not an exemption at point of sale. The distinction matters for retailers and consumers alike.

Under the old approach, impact-resistant doors and windows were tax-exempt during specific holiday windows — meaning no tax was collected at checkout during the holiday period. Under the new approach, the full sales tax is collected at the time of purchase. Homeowners then apply for a refund — up to $500 — after the fact.

Homeowners investing in storm-hardening upgrades have a multi-year window to claim the $500 refund, but the application must be made before September 30, 2029.

For retailers: you collect full sales tax on these items as you normally would. The refund is between the homeowner and the Florida Department of Revenue — not a point-of-sale exemption you need to apply. If customers ask, clarify that the exemption is now a post-purchase refund rather than a checkout discount.

What's New: Permanent Propane Tank Exemption

This one is straightforward and permanent.

HB 7031E creates a permanent tax exemption for propane tanks with a capacity of 20 pounds or less.

Standard 20-pound propane tanks — the kind used for backyard grills, camping stoves, and patio heaters — are now permanently exempt from Florida sales tax. There's no holiday window, no expiration date, and no application required.

For retailers selling propane tanks: update your POS system to apply the exemption to 20-pound and smaller tanks starting July 1. Larger tanks — 30-pound, 40-pound, 100-pound — are not covered by the exemption and remain taxable.

This exemption doesn't require a holiday window or system clock — it's a permanent product-level change that applies to every qualifying sale from July 1 onward.

What's New: Impact-Resistant Windows and Doors Three-Year Exemption

Separate from the home hardening refund program, HB 7031E also creates a temporary sales tax exemption on impact-resistant windows and doors.

The bill temporarily exempts impact-resistant windows and doors for three years — through June 30, 2029.

This is an at-the-register exemption — unlike the refund program for broader home hardening products. Impact-resistant windows and doors are tax-exempt at the point of sale from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029.

The distinction between the two programs — refund for some home hardening products, direct exemption for impact-resistant windows and doors — reflects the legislature's attempt to balance consumer benefit with administrative simplicity. Windows and doors are clearly defined categories. The refund program covers a broader but harder-to-define range of home hardening products.

For retailers selling impact-resistant windows and doors: apply the exemption at the register from July 1. No customer paperwork required. For retailers selling other home hardening products: collect normal sales tax and direct customers to the Department of Revenue's refund application process.

What Changed: Gambling and Alcohol Tax Rates

HB 7031E includes two tax rate changes that affect specific industries.

The tax on slot machine revenues drops from 35% to 34% — a 1 percentage point reduction for Florida's pari-mutuel facilities and tribal gaming operations that offer slot machines.

The gross receipts tax on cardroom revenues drops from 8% to 5% — a 3 percentage point reduction for facilities offering poker and other card games.

These aren't sales tax changes — they're excise and gross receipts tax changes. But they affect the overall tax burden for gambling industry participants in Florida and reduce the effective cost of operating these facilities in the state.

For alcohol, HB 7031E also makes adjustments to tax rates on alcoholic beverages. Retailers and distributors should verify updated rate schedules through the Florida Department of Revenue to confirm their specific product categories.

The Big Picture: What Florida's Restructuring Means for Retailers

Florida's 2026 tax overhaul is the most significant restructuring of the state's sales tax holiday system since the holidays began. The shift from Freedom Month and temporary annual holidays toward a mix of permanent exemptions and restructured holiday windows reflects a deliberate policy decision — predictability and permanence over novelty and frequency.

For retailers, the practical implications are significant:

The back-to-school holiday now starts July 20 — earlier than most retailers' systems were configured for. Update now, not when the holiday arrives.

The hunting, fishing, and camping holiday starts September 1 — a completely new four-month window covering categories that have never had a Florida holiday before. Firearms, ammunition, camping gear, fishing tackle — all qualifying for the first time. Systems need to be updated before September 1.

The propane tank exemption is permanent — it's a product-level change, not a holiday window. Configure it as a permanent exemption in your tax software, not a time-limited holiday rule.

Impact-resistant windows and doors are exempt at the register through June 2029 — a three-year at-the-register exemption that requires a product-level configuration update, not a date-based holiday rule.

The home hardening refund program requires no change to your point-of-sale system — but you should be prepared to explain to customers that the refund application happens directly with the Department of Revenue, not at your register.

Freedom Month exemptions that are now permanent year-round don't require holiday window management — but verify which specific items moved to permanent status versus which moved to other holidays, to avoid misclassifying taxable items as exempt outside their valid windows.

We expect the Florida Department of Revenue will issue additional guidance related to these new exemptions. Monitor the Department's website for further updates before the September 1 hunting, fishing, and camping holiday begins.

For a complete overview of every 2026 state sales tax holiday — including Florida's updated schedule alongside Ohio, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Texas, and more — visit our complete 2026 sales tax holiday guide.

Selling into Florida and want to make sure your systems are configured correctly for the restructured back-to-school holiday, the new September hunting and camping holiday, and the new permanent exemptions that took effect July 1? Book a free consultation with our team at sales.tax. We'll audit your Florida compliance setup and make sure every change is applied correctly before the next holiday window opens.

Illinois Just Brought Back Its Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday. Here's What's Different in 2026

Illinois shoppers haven't had a back-to-school sales tax holiday since 2022.

That changes this August.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed SB 3019 — the state's $56 billion budget bill — on June 16, 2026. Among its provisions: a 10-day back-to-school sales tax holiday running August 7 through August 16, 2026.

During that period, qualifying clothing and footwear priced less than $125 are subject to a reduced state sales tax rate of 1.25% — instead of the normal 6.25%.

Four years in the making. Ten days of reduced taxes. And a broader category of qualifying items than most people realize.

Here's everything Illinois shoppers and retailers need to know before August 7.

Why Illinois Hasn't Had This Holiday Since 2022

Illinois's back-to-school sales tax holiday isn't a new concept. The state ran similar holidays in prior years — including 2022, when the reduced 1.25% rate applied to qualifying back-to-school items.

In 2022, Illinois reduced the sales tax rate for back-to-school items from 6.25% to 1.25%. While efforts were made in the Illinois legislature to bring it back, no such sales tax holiday had been included since — until this year.

The holiday's return in 2026 comes as part of a broader budget deal that also included new taxes on social media, digital assets, fantasy sports, and cryptocurrency — all passed in the same June 1 budget bill and signed June 16. The holiday is the consumer-friendly piece of a tax package that otherwise expanded Illinois's revenue base significantly.

What's Actually Tax-Reduced — The Full List

This is where Illinois's 2026 holiday is more expansive than most people realize.

The holiday doesn't just cover clothing and footwear. From August 7 through August 16, 2026, a reduced tax rate of 1.25% applies to clothing with a retail seller price of less than $125 — and also to school supplies, school art supplies, instructional materials, and computer supplies. The Sales Tax People

Breaking that down:

Clothing and footwear — under $125 per item:
Shirts, jeans, dresses, shoes, boots, jackets, coats, uniforms, and similar everyday clothing items. The $125 threshold applies per item — a $124 pair of shoes qualifies, a $126 pair does not.

School supplies:
The standard back-to-school lineup — notebooks, folders, pencils, pens, scissors, calculators, rulers, and similar supplies used for school.

School art supplies:
Paints, brushes, sketchbooks, colored pencils, and similar materials used for art classes.

Instructional materials:
Textbooks, workbooks, reference books, and similar materials used for learning.

Computer supplies:
Items used with computers — mice, keyboards, USB drives, printer paper, and similar accessories.

That's a significantly broader category than most neighboring states. While Texas limits its August 7-9 holiday to clothing under $100 and school supplies under $100, Illinois's 10-day window covers computer supplies and school art supplies that most other states leave out entirely.

What "Reduced Rate" Means — Not Tax-Free

This is the most important distinction Illinois shoppers and retailers need to understand.

Illinois's holiday is not a tax-free period. It's a reduced-rate period.

Qualifying items are subject to a reduced rate of state sales tax of 1.25% instead of the normal 6.25%.

The 5% reduction in state rate translates to real savings — but it's not zero. On a $100 purchase, Illinois shoppers pay $1.25 in state tax instead of $6.25. That's $5 in savings per $100 spent.

And local taxes still apply on top of the reduced state rate. Illinois has some of the most complex local sales tax structures in the country — combined rates ranging from 6.25% to 11% depending on the jurisdiction. The holiday reduces the state portion from 6.25% to 1.25% — but the local layer stays at whatever rate applies to the delivery address.

For a shopper in Chicago — where the combined rate is 10.25% — the holiday brings their total rate on qualifying items to approximately 5.25% (1.25% state + 4% Chicago local). That's still meaningful savings, but not zero.

For retailers, this creates a specific compliance requirement: the system needs to apply the reduced 1.25% state rate on qualifying items while continuing to apply the correct local rate unchanged. Getting either piece wrong — reducing local taxes or failing to reduce the state rate — creates compliance errors.

The 10-Day Window — Why It's Unusually Long

Most state back-to-school holidays run two to three days. Illinois's 2026 holiday runs ten.

According to Governor Pritzker's office, families shopping for school supplies, clothing, computers, and other necessities will benefit from the reduced rate August 7-16.

Ten days is more comparable to Connecticut's Tax-Free Week (August 16-22) than to the standard weekend-only format. The longer window gives Illinois shoppers more flexibility to plan purchases — and gives retailers a longer compliance obligation to manage.

The holiday runs from 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 7 through the end of Sunday, August 16 — covering two full weekends plus the week in between. That's the peak back-to-school shopping window for most Illinois families.

How Illinois Compares to Neighboring States in August

Illinois isn't the only state with a sales tax holiday the week of August 7. Here's how the regional picture looks:

Iowa — August 7-8. Clothing and footwear under $100. Full exemption (state and local).

Missouri — August 7-9. Clothing under $100, school supplies under $50, computers under $1,500. Full exemption.

Wisconsin — No holiday.

Indiana — No holiday.

Kentucky — No holiday.

Illinois — August 7-16. Clothing and footwear under $125, school supplies, school art supplies, instructional materials, and computer supplies. Reduced rate (1.25% state, local taxes still apply).

The key differences: Illinois has the longest window and covers more categories — but it's a reduced rate, not a full exemption. Iowa and Missouri offer full exemptions for their shorter windows. For shoppers near state borders, the choice between a full exemption in Iowa or Missouri for two to three days versus a reduced rate in Illinois for ten days will depend on what they're buying and how close they are to a border.

For Illinois retailers, the ten-day window means a longer compliance period than most competitors in neighboring states — but also a longer opportunity to capture back-to-school shopping traffic.

The same budget bill that created the sales tax holiday also froze Illinois's annual gas tax increase.

Illinois typically increases its state motor fuel tax annually on July 1. The July 1, 2026 increase — scheduled at 1.3 cents per gallon — was pushed back six months to January 1, 2027 by SB 3019.

For Illinois retailers with delivery fleets or logistics operations, the gas tax freeze is a modest but real operational benefit through the end of 2026. And for consumers, it means the cost of driving to back-to-school sales doesn't increase during the holiday period itself.

What Retailers Need to Do Before August 7

Illinois's back-to-school holiday hasn't run since 2022 — which means some retailers' systems may not have been configured for it in years. Here's what needs to happen before August 7:

1. Update your state rate to 1.25% on qualifying items. Your POS and ecommerce tax engine needs to apply the reduced 1.25% state rate to qualifying clothing, footwear, school supplies, art supplies, instructional materials, and computer supplies during the August 7-16 window. The normal 6.25% state rate still applies to non-qualifying items.

2. Keep local taxes unchanged. The reduced rate applies to the state portion only. Local taxes — city, county, transit district — continue at their normal rates for qualifying items. Illinois's local tax structure is complex, and getting this right requires address-level rate accuracy.

3. Verify the $125 threshold applies per item. The clothing and footwear threshold is $125 per item, not per transaction. A customer buying five $120 shirts pays the reduced rate on all five. A customer buying one $130 jacket pays the full 6.25% state rate.

4. Contact your software vendor now. Illinois's holiday hasn't run since 2022. Some tax software platforms may need manual configuration to apply the reduced rate correctly. Verify with your vendor that the August 7-16 reduced rate is programmed — don't assume it updates automatically.

5. Handle online orders correctly. For ecommerce sellers, the reduced rate applies to orders placed and paid for during the August 7-16 window — even if delivery occurs after August 16. The transaction date determines the applicable rate, not the delivery date.

6. Mandatory participation. All businesses open during the holiday are required to participate and cannot advertise that they'll pay or absorb the sales tax on nonqualifying items. The reduced rate is mandatory for qualifying items — and you cannot use the holiday as a marketing tool for non-qualifying products. The Sales Tax People

The Savings — By the Numbers

The switch from 6.25% to 1.25% state rate represents an 80% reduction in state sales tax on qualifying items. Here's what that looks like for a typical Illinois back-to-school shopping trip:

Item	Price	Normal State Tax (6.25%)	Holiday State Tax (1.25%)	Savings
Sneakers	$110	$6.88	$1.38	$5.50
Jeans	$75	$4.69	$0.94	$3.75
School backpack	$65	$4.06	$0.81	$3.25
Laptop accessories	$85	$5.31	$1.06	$4.25
Art supplies	$45	$2.81	$0.56	$2.25
Full back-to-school haul	$600	$37.50	$7.50	$30.00

$30 in state tax savings on a $600 back-to-school haul. Add in local tax still applying, and the total savings are somewhat less than a full exemption — but across a ten-day window and a broad category of qualifying items, Illinois's 2026 holiday is genuinely more valuable than the reduced-rate format might initially suggest.

For a full look at every state's 2026 sales tax holiday — dates, qualifying items, price thresholds, and compliance requirements — visit our complete 2026 sales tax holiday guide.

Selling clothing, school supplies, or computer accessories in Illinois and want to make sure your systems are configured correctly for the August 7-16 reduced rate — or managing sales tax holiday compliance across multiple states this summer? Book a free consultation with our team at sales.tax. We'll audit your holiday compliance setup and make sure you're applying the right rates before the first day of the holiday.

Iowa's Sales Tax Holiday Is August 7-8. Here's What You Need to Know Before the Weekend.

Iowa's back-to-school sales tax holiday is one of the most straightforward in the country.

Two days. One rule. Clothing and footwear under $100 — no sales tax.

Iowa's annual sales tax holiday runs from 12:01 a.m. Friday, August 7 through midnight Saturday, August 8, 2026. By statute, the holiday always begins at 12:01 a.m. on the first Friday in August and ends the following day at midnight. The holiday does not include Sunday.

For Iowa shoppers, it's a clean, easy-to-understand shopping window. For Iowa retailers, it's a compliance event that requires specific preparation — and specific rules about how sales are handled, advertised, and reported.

Why Iowa's Holiday Stands Out

Iowa's holiday is one of the simplest in the country — and that simplicity is worth noting.

While states like Massachusetts cover most retail items up to $2,500, Connecticut covers clothing and footwear up to $300, and Florida runs an entire month of exemptions across multiple categories — Iowa keeps it clean.

No sales tax or local option sales tax will be collected on sales of an article of clothing or footwear having a selling price less than $100.

That covers both state and local option sales tax — meaning the full combined rate is waived on qualifying items, not just the state portion. Iowa's 6% state rate plus any applicable local option tax (up to 2%) disappears entirely on qualifying purchases during the two-day window.

For a shopper buying a $90 pair of shoes in a city with a 1% local option tax, the combined 7% tax — $6.30 — is completely waived.

What Qualifies

The qualifying category is clothing and footwear — broadly defined to cover the everyday items families buy for back-to-school season.

Iowa's Department of Revenue publishes a comprehensive alphabetical list of representative qualifying items. The list covers the range of what shoppers typically buy: shirts, jeans, dresses, coats, shoes, boots, socks, underwear, sweaters, shorts, jackets, and similar everyday clothing items — all qualifying when individually priced under $100.

The $100 threshold applies per item, not per transaction. A shopper buying ten $95 items pays no tax on any of them. Each item is evaluated independently.

Online purchases qualify as well. If a customer orders and pays for a qualifying item during the August 7-8 window, the purchase is exempt — even if delivery occurs after the holiday ends.

What Doesn't Qualify

Iowa's holiday is simple — but it has specific exclusions that retailers need to apply correctly.

Special clothing or footwear primarily designed for athletic activity or protective use that is not normally worn except for that activity does not qualify. That means protective gear, helmets, pads, and specialty athletic equipment are taxable even during the holiday window.

Accessories — jewelry, handbags, luggage, umbrellas, wallets, watches, and similar items — are also excluded. The exemption is for clothing and footwear worn on the body in the manner characteristic of clothing, not for items merely carried on or about the person.

Business purchases don't qualify either. The exemption is for consumer purchases — items bought for personal use, not for resale or business purposes.

The Rules That Catch Retailers Off Guard

Iowa's Department of Revenue is unusually specific about how sales promotions interact with the holiday — and getting these wrong is one of the most common compliance mistakes.

The "Buy One Get One" Problem

The total price of items advertised as "buy one, get one free" or "buy one, get one for a reduced price" cannot be averaged in order for both items to qualify for the exemption.

A retailer advertises pants as "buy one, get one free." The first pair is priced at $110 — the second pair is free. Tax is due on $110 — the free pair cannot be used to bring the average price below $100. However, the retailer may advertise and sell the items at 50% off — selling each pair of $110 pants for $55 — making each pair individually eligible for the exemption.

The distinction: averaging prices across a promotion to create a qualifying price is not permitted. Genuinely selling each item at a qualifying price is permitted.

The Splitting Problem

Items normally sold as a unit cannot be separated to qualify. A pair of shoes normally sold for $120 cannot be split into two $60 individual shoes to qualify. A suit normally priced at $125 on a single price tag cannot be split into separate articles to bring any component under $100.

The rule is simple: if it's sold as a unit, the unit price determines taxability.

The Exchange Problem

Iowa has clear rules about returns and exchanges during and after the holiday — another area retailers often handle incorrectly.

When a customer purchases an eligible item during the exemption period and later exchanges it for the same item in a different size or color — no additional tax is due, even if the exchange happens after the holiday ends.

But if the customer exchanges a qualifying item for a different, more expensive item during the holiday — tax is due on the higher price. A customer buying an $85 dress during the holiday, then exchanging it for a $125 dress during the same weekend, owes tax on $125. The $85 credit from the returned item cannot reduce the $125 price to $40 for exemption purposes.

And if the exchange happens after the holiday ends — a customer buys a $35 shirt during the holiday, then exchanges it for a $35 jacket the following week — tax is due on the jacket, because the jacket was not purchased during the exemption period.

How Iowa Compares to Neighboring States

Iowa sits in a region where multiple states run back-to-school holidays in the same window — giving retailers and shoppers context for where Iowa's rules fit in the broader picture.

Missouri's back-to-school holiday also runs August 7-9, 2026 — covering clothing, computers, and school supplies. Missouri's holiday is three days and covers more categories than Iowa's two-day clothing-only window.

Nebraska has no sales tax holiday.

Illinois has a reduced-rate holiday August 7-16, 2026 — qualifying clothing and footwear priced less than $125 are taxed at 1.25% instead of the normal 6.25%. That's not a full exemption — it's a reduced rate — but it runs for ten days compared to Iowa's two.

Wisconsin has no sales tax holiday.

For Iowa retailers near state borders — particularly those near the Missouri or Illinois line — understanding the neighboring state rules helps contextualize how shoppers may behave during the holiday window.

Iowa's Sales Tax Structure — What Remote Sellers Need to Know

For ecommerce sellers shipping to Iowa customers, the holiday creates a specific compliance obligation during the August 7-8 window.

Iowa's economic nexus threshold is $100,000 in annual sales to Iowa customers. Remote sellers exceeding that threshold are required to collect Iowa sales tax — including the local option tax that applies in many Iowa jurisdictions.

Iowa has no transaction threshold — only the revenue threshold applies. Remote sellers who cross $100,000 in Iowa sales are on the hook for both state and local option taxes on qualifying transactions.

During the August 7-8 holiday window, remote sellers must stop collecting both state and local option taxes on qualifying clothing and footwear priced under $100. Continuing to collect during the holiday means over-collecting from customers on transactions where no tax is legally due.

What Retailers Must Do Before August 7

Businesses that are open on these days are required to participate. Participation in Iowa's sales tax holiday is not optional — every retailer open during the August 7-8 window must apply the exemption to qualifying purchases.

The compliance checklist:

1. Update your POS and ecommerce tax settings. Qualifying clothing and footwear under $100 must be processed as tax-exempt during the August 7-8 window. Verify with your software vendor that both state and local option taxes are waived — not just the state rate.

2. Apply the threshold at the item level. The $100 limit applies per item, not per transaction. Configure your system to evaluate each line item independently.

3. Don't advertise tax absorption on non-qualifying items. Iowa specifically prohibits retailers from advertising that they will pay or otherwise absorb the sales tax on items that don't qualify. The holiday exemption applies to qualifying items only — don't use it as a marketing hook for ineligible products.

4. Handle promotions correctly. Review any buy-one-get-one or bundle promotions planned for the holiday weekend. Ensure your promotional pricing structure genuinely reduces each item's individual price — not just the average price across a bundle.

5. Report correctly on your return. When completing your Iowa sales tax return, qualifying exempt sales are included on line 1 — Gross Sales — and also on line 4 — Exemptions. Enter these exempt sales in the Sales Tax Holiday category for line 4 specifically. Don't omit them from gross sales — just deduct them properly on the exemptions line.

6. No exemption certificates required. Iowa explicitly states that retailers do not need exemption certificates to support the sales tax holiday exemption. The holiday is automatic for qualifying transactions — no documentation from customers is required.

The Savings — By the Numbers

Iowa's combined sales tax rate is 6% state plus local option taxes of 0% to 2% depending on the jurisdiction. In most Iowa cities with a local option tax, the combined rate is 7%.

Item	Price	Tax Saved at 7%
Sneakers	$85	$5.95
Jeans	$65	$4.55
School outfit	$90	$6.30
Kids' shoes	$55	$3.85
Family back-to-school haul	$600 across qualifying items	$42.00

The savings per item are modest — Iowa's holiday has a lower price cap than Connecticut's expanded $300 threshold or Massachusetts's $2,500 limit. But the full waiver of both state and local taxes, combined with mandatory retailer participation, makes it a genuine and reliable consumer benefit every August.

Selling clothing or footwear into Iowa and want to make sure your systems are configured correctly for the August 7-8 holiday — or managing sales tax holiday compliance across multiple states this summer? Book a free consultation with our team at sales.tax. We'll audit your holiday compliance setup across every state where you sell and make sure you're collecting correctly through the entire back-to-school season.

Connecticut Just Made Its Tax-Free Week Three Times More Valuable. Here's Everything You Need to Know for August 16-22 2026

Connecticut's tax-free week starts this Sunday.

Public Act No. 26-68 increased the sales tax holiday price threshold from $100 to $300 per item and expanded eligibility to include all backpacks and cleated shoes — the most significant expansion of the holiday in years.

Connecticut's annual sales tax-free week runs August 16 through August 22, 2026 — from the third Sunday in August through the following Saturday.

Six days away. And this year, it's worth planning around more than ever.

A $90 pair of sneakers has always qualified during tax-free week. A $250 pair of boots never did — until now. That change alone makes Connecticut's 2026 holiday meaningfully more valuable for back-to-school shoppers and clothing retailers alike.

What Changed for 2026 — And Why It Matters

Connecticut's tax-free week has been running since 1997 — making 2026 its 27th year. The core structure has stayed consistent: one week every August, clothing and footwear exempt up to a price threshold.

But the threshold hadn't moved with the times. A $100 cap that felt reasonable in the late 1990s covers a narrower range of clothing today as prices have risen. The legislature's decision to raise the cap to $300 is the most significant expansion of the holiday since it began.

Normally, only clothing and footwear priced under $75 per item are exempt from Connecticut sales tax year-round. During tax-free week, the threshold historically rose to $100. For 2026, that threshold jumps to $300 — meaning items that would normally be taxed at the full 6.35% rate can be purchased tax-free during the August 16-22 window.

The practical impact: a wide range of mid-range clothing and footwear that has never qualified before — dress shoes, boots, quality outerwear, athletic gear worn as everyday clothing — now falls within the exemption.

The legislation also adds backpacks and cleated shoes as newly qualifying categories for the first time in 2026.

Cleated shoes are particularly notable — they've historically been excluded as special footwear primarily designed for athletic activity. Their addition signals a broader interpretation of what counts as qualifying footwear during the holiday window.

What's Tax-Free August 16-22

The exemption covers clothing and footwear priced under $300 per item. Here's what qualifies:

Shirts, jeans, dresses, shoes, boots, sleepwear, undergarments, outerwear, hats, gloves, and similar items worn on or about the body — all qualify during tax-free week if individually priced under $300.

Backpacks of any type priced under $300 qualify for the 2026 tax-free week — a new addition under Public Act No. 26-68.

Cleated shoes — soccer cleats, football cleats, baseball cleats — qualify for the first time in 2026.

The $300 threshold applies per item, not per transaction. A shopper buying five $250 pairs of shoes pays no sales tax on any of them — each item individually qualifies.

Connecticut has no local sales tax — the full 6.35% state rate disappears entirely on qualifying items during the holiday. This is different from states like Illinois where local taxes continue to apply during the holiday window.

What's NOT Tax-Free

The expansion is significant — but it doesn't cover everything.

The following items are specifically excluded from Connecticut's tax-free week exemption: special clothing or footwear primarily designed for athletic activity or protective use that is not normally worn except for that activity, and accessories including jewelry, handbags, luggage, umbrellas, wallets, watches, and similar items carried on but not worn on the body in the manner characteristic of clothing.

That means:

Handbags and purses — taxable during the holiday
Jewelry and watches — taxable during the holiday
Luggage — taxable during the holiday
Protective equipment — helmets, pads, specialty athletic gear — taxable during the holiday
Items over $300 — fully taxable at 6.35% or 7.75% if classified as luxury
Electronics — not covered by Connecticut's holiday unlike Massachusetts

The cleated shoe addition creates an interesting edge: cleats are now explicitly qualifying, but other athletic footwear not normally worn except for athletic activity is still excluded. The distinction is footwear that has a plausible everyday use versus footwear that only makes sense on a field or court.

The School Supplies Exemption That Already Kicked In

Before the holiday even starts, Connecticut already made another change businesses need to know about.

Since July 1, 2026, nonelectronic school supplies are permanently exempt from Connecticut sales tax year-round — regardless of whether they're purchased during tax-free week or any other time. Eligible items include backpacks, crayons, lunch boxes, and notebooks.

This is a separate, permanent exemption — not part of the annual holiday. If you sell school supplies in Connecticut and haven't updated your system for the July 1 change yet, that's the first thing to fix before the holiday begins.

The overlap between the two creates a specific compliance question: backpacks are permanently exempt as nonelectronic school supplies since July 1, and they also qualify during tax-free week. For compliance purposes, the permanent exemption applies year-round — during the holiday, both the permanent school supply exemption and the holiday exemption cover backpacks simultaneously. Either way, backpacks are exempt. The practical effect is the same — just make sure your system is treating them as exempt at all times, not just during the August 16-22 window.

How Connecticut's Holiday Compares to Its Neighbors

Connecticut sits in a region where back-to-school tax holidays overlap — and shoppers near state borders often cross to take advantage of the most favorable rules.

Massachusetts held its sales tax holiday August 8-9 — a full week before Connecticut's August 16-22 window — covering most retail items under $2,500 for personal use, including electronics and appliances.

Connecticut's holiday is narrower in category — clothing and footwear only — but now covers a higher per-item threshold than most states and runs seven full days. Massachusetts gave more category breadth. Connecticut gives a longer window.

For families near the Massachusetts-Connecticut border, the strategy this year was clear: electronics and big-ticket appliances during Massachusetts's August 8-9 weekend, clothing and footwear during Connecticut's August 16-22 week.

Connecticut's Sales Tax Structure — Context That Matters

For businesses new to Connecticut sales tax, the holiday doesn't exist in isolation.

Connecticut's standard sales tax rate is 6.35% for most purchases. Luxury items — including clothing and footwear priced above $1,000 — are taxed at 7.75%. B2B SaaS is taxed at a reduced 1% rate. B2C SaaS and digital goods are taxable at the full 6.35%.

Connecticut uniquely requires remote sellers to exceed both $100,000 in gross receipts AND 200 transactions with Connecticut customers to trigger economic nexus — not just one threshold. The "AND" structure means a seller with $500,000 in Connecticut revenue but only 150 transactions hasn't triggered nexus. And a seller with 300 transactions but only $80,000 in revenue hasn't either.

Both thresholds must be crossed for the nexus obligation to apply. For businesses approaching the Connecticut threshold, the distinction matters significantly.

What Retailers Need to Do Before Sunday

The holiday starts in six days. If your systems aren't updated yet, here's what to prioritize in the next 48 hours.

1. Update your price threshold from $100 to $300. This is the most critical change. Your POS and ecommerce tax engine needs to apply the exemption to qualifying clothing and footwear priced up to $299.99 — not just up to $99.99 as in prior years. This single misconfiguration is the most common source of over-collection errors during Connecticut's holiday.

2. Add backpacks and cleated shoes to your qualifying items list. Both categories are new for 2026. If your system had backpacks flagged as non-qualifying because of prior year rules, change that now. If cleated shoes were categorized as non-qualifying athletic footwear, they need to be recategorized.

3. Confirm school supplies are permanently exempt in your system. Nonelectronic school supplies have been exempt since July 1. If you haven't updated this yet, fix it immediately — you may have been over-collecting on school supplies for six weeks.

4. Handle online orders correctly. The sale is considered to have taken place during the tax-free week if the customer pays in full during that window — even if delivery occurs afterward. An order placed at 11:58 p.m. Saturday August 22 qualifies. An order placed at 12:01 a.m. Sunday August 23 does not.

5. Don't split items to qualify. Items normally sold as a unit — like a pair of shoes — cannot be separated and sold as individual items to qualify for the exemption. A pair of shoes priced at $320 is taxable. Splitting them into two $160 charges doesn't make them exempt.

6. Handle "buy one, get one free" correctly. The $300 threshold applies to the item for which there is a charge. A BOGO promotion doesn't allow the retailer to allocate charges to the free item to bring both under the threshold.

7. Confirm Connecticut has no local tax to waive. Unlike Illinois, where local taxes continue during the holiday, Connecticut has no local sales tax. The full 6.35% disappears on qualifying items. Your system should be zeroing out the entire tax — not just a state portion.

The Savings — Under the New $300 Threshold

The expanded threshold changes the math significantly for Connecticut shoppers.

Item	Price	Tax Saved at 6.35%
Sneakers	$180	$11.43
Winter coat	$275	$17.46
Dress shoes	$220	$13.97
Back-to-school outfit	$150	$9.53
Backpack	$85	$5.40
Cleats	$120	$7.62
Full family back-to-school haul	$1,800 across qualifying items	$114.30

A family outfitting multiple kids for school — with clothing, footwear, and backpacks all qualifying under the new $300 threshold — could realistically save $100 or more in a single shopping trip. That's a meaningful incentive, and Connecticut retailers who market the expanded holiday effectively have a real traffic opportunity this week.

For a complete overview of every 2026 state sales tax holiday — including Mississippi's Second Amendment weekend August 28-30, Maryland's tax-free week running through August 22, and Florida's ongoing back-to-school holiday through August 20 — visit our complete 2026 sales tax holiday guide.

Selling clothing, footwear, or school supplies into Connecticut and want to make sure your systems are configured correctly before Sunday? Book a free consultation with our team at sales.tax. We'll make sure your Connecticut compliance is updated before the first transaction of the holiday.

Ohio's Sales Tax Holiday Is Back in August 2026. Here's Everything You Need to Know

Back-to-school shopping just got a little cheaper in Ohio.

Governor Mike DeWine announced that Ohio's 2026 Sales Tax Holiday will run for three days in August — from 12 a.m. on August 7 through 11:59 p.m. on August 9. Avalara

Three days. No sales tax on qualifying items. And if you're a parent stocking up on school supplies, clothing, or instructional materials before the new school year, the timing is designed exactly for you.

Here's what's covered, what's not, and what businesses need to have ready before the weekend arrives.

What Is Ohio's Sales Tax Holiday?

Ohio's sales tax holiday is an annual event where the state temporarily suspends sales tax on select back-to-school purchases. It's designed to give families a break on essential school items right before the academic year begins.

The holiday normally begins right before the new school year starts so parents and students can save money on school supplies. Avalara

Ohio has run this holiday in various forms for years. The 2023 version was notably expanded — covering all items $500 and under for a full weekend. The 2026 version returns to the traditional, narrower scope focused specifically on back-to-school essentials.

What's Tax-Free During the Holiday

The 2026 Ohio Sales Tax Holiday includes all items of clothing priced at $75 or less, school supplies priced at $20 or less, and school instructional materials priced at $20 or less. Avalara

Breaking that down:

Clothing — $75 or less per item:

Coats and jackets
Uniforms
Shoes and sneakers
Everyday clothing items

School Supplies — $20 or less per item:

Calculators
Lunch boxes
Protractors
Scissors
Notebooks, folders, pens, pencils

School Instructional Materials — $20 or less per item:

Textbooks
Workbooks
Reference books used for schoolwork

If an item falls within these categories and stays under the price threshold, no Ohio sales tax applies — state or local — during the holiday window.

What's NOT Included

This is where shoppers can get caught off guard — and where retailers need to be precise.

The sales tax holiday does not include items that are $500 or less, food in restaurants, boats and watercrafts, titled outboard motors, motor vehicles, alcohol, tobacco, vape products, or items with marijuana. It also does not apply to taxable services and items purchased for use in a business. Avalara

A few things worth highlighting specifically:

Electronics — laptops, tablets, and phones do not qualify, even if used for school
Business purchases — if you're buying supplies for your business rather than personal/school use, the holiday doesn't apply
Items over the threshold — a $25 backpack is taxable; a $19.99 backpack is not. The line is exact.
Restaurant food — grabbing lunch while shopping doesn't get a tax break

The price thresholds apply per item, not per transaction. Buying five $18 notebooks is fine — all five qualify. Buying one $25 notebook means that item is fully taxable.

What Changed From 2023

Ohio's 2023 sales tax holiday was a significant expansion — covering essentially all items priced at $500 or under for the entire weekend. That version generated a lot of buzz because it extended well beyond school supplies into appliances, electronics, and furniture.

The 2026 holiday does not include items that are $500 or less. Avalara

In other words — that expanded version is gone. 2026 is back to the traditional, targeted format. Families hoping to score a tax-free TV or refrigerator like they could in 2023 will be disappointed. This holiday is specifically about clothing and school supplies, not general consumer goods.

If you're planning purchases based on what Ohio's holiday covered in prior years, double-check the current rules before assuming something qualifies.

The Savings — By the Numbers

Ohio's state sales tax rate is 5.75%. Combined with local rates, most Ohio shoppers pay between 6.5% and 8% in total sales tax depending on their county.

Here's what that saves on a typical back-to-school haul:

Item	Price	Tax Saved (at 7.5%)
Pair of sneakers	$70	$5.25
School uniform set	$65	$4.88
Calculator	$18	$1.35
Backpack full of supplies	$45 in supplies	$3.38
Total	$198	~$14.86

Not enough to change your life — but enough to cover another supply run. And for families buying for multiple kids, it adds up faster.

What Retailers Need to Do Before August 7

If you operate a retail business in Ohio, the sales tax holiday isn't just a consumer event — it's a compliance event. You're responsible for correctly applying the exemption at the point of sale, and getting it wrong creates liability.

Here's what to have in place before the weekend:

Audit your product catalog — identify every item you sell that could qualify and verify it meets both the category and the price threshold requirements
Update your POS system — qualifying items need to ring up tax-free automatically during the holiday window; manual overrides create errors at volume
Train your staff — employees will get questions. Make sure they know what qualifies, what doesn't, and what to do when a customer disputes a taxable charge
Handle split transactions correctly — if a customer buys a $70 shirt (tax-free) and a $30 pair of sunglasses (taxable) in the same transaction, both items need to be handled accurately
Document everything — keep records of holiday-period transactions in case of a future audit; the exemption needs to be defensible

The holiday runs 72 hours. High transaction volume, edge-case products, and price-threshold questions will come fast. Preparation before August 7 is the difference between a smooth weekend and a compliance headache.

Ohio Is One of Nearly 20 States With a Sales Tax Holiday This Year

Ohio's back-to-school weekend is one of the most recognized sales tax holidays in the country — but it's far from the only one happening in 2026.

Nearly 20 states have confirmed at least one sales tax holiday this year, covering everything from back-to-school clothing and supplies to Energy Star appliances, emergency preparedness gear, firearms and ammunition, and even outdoor recreation equipment. Key dates cluster around the same August 7–9 weekend as Ohio — Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia are all running their own back-to-school holidays that same weekend. Tennessee's holiday runs July 24–26, Connecticut's goes August 16–22, and Maryland's stretches from August 9–15.

The holiday types vary too. Florida alone runs five separate sales tax holidays throughout 2026 — including a "Freedom Month" holiday in July covering boating, camping, and fishing supplies, and a dedicated "Tool Time" holiday for skilled trade workers. Louisiana and Mississippi both run Second Amendment weekends later in the year. Missouri added an Energy Star appliance holiday in April on top of its August back-to-school event.

If you sell across multiple states, the compliance picture gets complex fast — different dates, different qualifying categories, different price thresholds, and different rules on whether local taxes are included. For the full 2026 sales tax holiday schedule, state by state, visit our complete guide to sales tax holidays. It covers every confirmed holiday, the eligible items, and the price caps you need to know.

Running a retail business in Ohio or another state with an upcoming sales tax holiday and not sure how to handle compliance during the exemption window? Book a free consultation with our team at sales.tax. We'll make sure your systems are set up correctly before the holiday hits.

What Items Qualify for Sales Tax Holidays in 2026? (Complete Guide)

Sales tax holidays are one of the most searched—and misunderstood—tax events every year.

In 2026, they’re bigger than ever. More states are participating, more categories are included, and more shoppers are actively searching for what qualifies.

But here’s the catch:
👉 Not everything is tax-free.

If you’re a business (or even a consumer trying to save money), understanding exactly what items qualify for sales tax holidays in 2026 can make a huge difference.

Let’s break it down.

The Most Common Tax-Free Items in 2026

While rules vary by state, most sales tax holidays fall into a few major categories.

1. Clothing and Footwear

This is the most common category across nearly every state.

Typical rules include:

Clothing items priced under $100–$125 per item
Everyday wear like shirts, pants, dresses, and shoes

What usually does NOT qualify:

Accessories (jewelry, handbags)
Athletic or protective gear (helmets, cleats)

👉 Example: States like Iowa, Oklahoma, and Connecticut all follow similar rules with price caps around $100

2. School Supplies

Back-to-school holidays are a major driver of traffic—and confusion.

Common qualifying items:

Notebooks, paper, pens, pencils
Backpacks and bookbags
Basic classroom supplies

Typical price limits:

Often $50–$100 per item, depending on the state

3. Computers and Electronics

Some states go beyond basics and include tech.

Qualifying items may include:

Laptops and tablets
Computer accessories (keyboard, mouse, monitors)
Software and educational tech

Price caps are much higher here:

Up to $1,500 for computers
Around $350 for software

👉 Important: Not all states include electronics—this is where businesses often make mistakes.

4. Energy-Efficient Appliances

Certain states offer “green” tax holidays.

Qualifying items:

ENERGY STAR air conditioners
Refrigerators and furnaces
Solar-powered equipment

Typical limits:

Around $1,500 per item (sometimes partial exemptions apply)

This is one of the biggest emerging categories this year.

States like Texas are expanding tax holidays to include emergency preparedness items.

Qualifying items may include:

Portable generators
Hurricane shutters
Emergency ladders
Basic safety supplies

But here’s where it gets tricky:

👉 Many items are explicitly excluded, such as:

Chainsaws
Camping gear
Cleaning supplies
Batteries and certain equipment

👉 This is exactly where businesses get it wrong.

The Most Important Rule: Price Limits Matter

Even if an item qualifies, it must fall under a specific price threshold.

Examples:

Clothing under $100 → tax-free
Laptop under $1,500 → tax-free
Generator under $3,000 → tax-free

If the price goes over?
👉 The item becomes partially or fully taxable depending on the state

What Usually Does NOT Qualify

Across most states, these items are commonly excluded:

Jewelry and luxury accessories
Sports or protective equipment
Vehicles and large equipment
Prepared food and restaurant purchases
Services (in most cases)

Even within qualifying categories, exceptions are everywhere.

👉 Example: A backpack may qualify—but a designer handbag won’t.

Why This Is So Confusing in 2026

Here’s the real issue:

👉 There is no universal rule.

Each state defines:

What items qualify
Price thresholds
Whether local tax applies
Whether online purchases count

More than 20 states are running sales tax holidays in 2026, each with different rules

That means:
➡️ The same product could be tax-free in one state—and fully taxable in another.

What Businesses Need to Watch

If you sell across multiple states, this is where risk shows up.

The most common mistakes:

Applying one state’s rules to all transactions
Missing price thresholds
Misclassifying products in your system
Forgetting temporary tax rule changes

👉 And these errors don’t always show up immediately—they show up during audits.

The Bottom Line

Sales tax holidays in 2026 cover more items than ever:

Clothing
School supplies
Electronics
Energy-efficient appliances
Emergency preparedness items

But the details—price limits, exclusions, and state differences—are where things get complicated.

And that complexity is exactly why so many businesses get it wrong.

Not Sure If You’re Applying the Right Rules?

Sales tax holidays might only last a few days—but the compliance impact can last much longer.

👉 If you’re unsure whether your systems are applying the right tax rules across states, it’s worth taking a closer look now.

Book a strategy session here

Sales Tax Holidays Are Back in 2026 — But Most Businesses Are Getting Them Wrong

Every year, sales tax holidays bring a surge of shoppers looking to save money.

And in 2026, they’re back—bigger, broader, and more confusing than ever.

States across the U.S. are expanding tax-free weekends to include everything from school supplies to emergency preparation items. On the surface, it sounds simple: don’t charge sales tax on certain products for a limited time.

But behind the scenes, it’s anything but simple.

For businesses, sales tax holidays are quickly becoming one of the most misunderstood—and risky—compliance events of the year.

What Is a Sales Tax Holiday (And Why It Matters in 2026)

A sales tax holiday is a limited-time period when specific items can be sold without charging sales tax.

Traditionally, these holidays focused on:

Back-to-school shopping
Clothing and footwear
School supplies

But in 2026, states are expanding the scope.

For example, Texas introduced an emergency preparation tax holiday, allowing tax-free purchases on items like generators and safety equipment.

👉 Sounds straightforward, right? Not exactly.

The Problem: What Qualifies (and What Doesn’t) Is Confusing

Here’s where most businesses get into trouble.

Not everything in a category qualifies—and small details matter.

For example:

A backpack might be tax-free… but only under a certain price
A generator might qualify… but only if it meets specific criteria
Some items are partially exempt, while accessories are still taxable

Even worse, rules vary by state—and sometimes even by product type within the same category.

👉 The result: businesses either over-collect tax (bad for customers) or under-collect (risky for audits).

It Gets More Complicated: State vs. Local vs. Marketplace Rules

Sales tax holidays don’t exist in a vacuum.

Businesses also have to navigate:

State vs. Local Tax Differences

In some cases, state sales tax may be waived—but local taxes may still apply.

Marketplace Facilitator Rules

If you sell through platforms, the platform may handle some tax collection—but not always consistently across jurisdictions.

Product Classification Issues

How your product is categorized in your system determines whether tax is applied correctly.

👉 One mismatch in classification = incorrect tax collection.

Why 2026 Is Different

This year isn’t just another round of tax-free weekends.

It reflects a bigger trend:

States are using targeted tax relief events while expanding overall tax enforcement elsewhere.

That means:

More rules
More exceptions
More scrutiny

And for businesses operating in multiple states, the complexity multiplies quickly.

What Businesses Are Getting Wrong

From what we’re seeing, the most common mistakes include:

Assuming all items in a category are exempt
Not updating systems in time for the holiday window
Applying one state’s rules to another
Relying on manual processes or outdated tax settings

These mistakes don’t always show up immediately—but they can surface later during audits or reconciliations.

How to Handle Sales Tax Holidays the Right Way

If your business is impacted by sales tax holidays, a proactive approach makes all the difference.

Here’s what to focus on:

Review which states you have nexus in
Identify which holidays apply to your products
Verify product taxability settings
Ensure your systems can handle temporary rule changes
Double-check how marketplace sales are treated

👉 The goal is simple: charge the right tax, at the right time, in every state.

The Bottom Line

Sales tax holidays might seem like a short-term event—but they can create long-term compliance issues if handled incorrectly.

And in 2026, with expanded categories and more complex rules, the margin for error is smaller than ever.

Ready to Make Sure You’re Covered?

If you’re not 100% confident your sales tax setup can handle these changes, it’s worth taking a closer look now—before the next tax holiday hits.

👉 Book a quick strategy session here

Hunting Supplies — No Price Cap

Fishing Supplies — Price Caps Apply

Camping Supplies — Mixed Rules

What Does NOT Qualify

Online Purchases and Gift Cards

Still Have Questions?

What Louisiana's Second Amendment Holiday Actually Is

What's Exempt — The Full List

What Does NOT Qualify

The Critical Compliance Detail: State vs. Local Tax Treatment

How to Report Exempt Sales — The Filing Requirement Retailers Forget

Online Purchases Qualify — With Conditions

How Louisiana Compares to Mississippi's Second Amendment Holiday

Louisiana's Broader Tax Context

What Retailers Need to Do Before September 4

Why Tennessee's Holiday Is Worth Planning Around

What's Tax-Free: Clothing and School Supplies Under $100

What's Tax-Free: Computers Under $1,500

What Does NOT Qualify

The "Can't Split Items" Rule

Online Purchases Qualify

Layaway Qualifies Too

Who Is Required to Participate

The Tennessee Context: The Grocery Tax That Isn't There

What Retailers Need to Do Before July 31

The Savings — By the Numbers

Freedom Month Is Gone — And It's Not Coming Back

What's New: The Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Holiday

What Moved: Back-to-School Holiday Now Starts July 20

What's New: Home Hardening Sales Tax Refund

What's New: Permanent Propane Tank Exemption

What's New: Impact-Resistant Windows and Doors Three-Year Exemption

What Changed: Gambling and Alcohol Tax Rates

The Big Picture: What Florida's Restructuring Means for Retailers

Why Illinois Hasn't Had This Holiday Since 2022

What's Actually Tax-Reduced — The Full List

What "Reduced Rate" Means — Not Tax-Free

The 10-Day Window — Why It's Unusually Long

How Illinois Compares to Neighboring States in August

What the Gas Tax Freeze Means — A Related Change

What Retailers Need to Do Before August 7

The Savings — By the Numbers

Why Iowa's Holiday Stands Out

What Qualifies

What Doesn't Qualify

The Rules That Catch Retailers Off Guard

The "Buy One Get One" Problem

The Splitting Problem

The Exchange Problem

How Iowa Compares to Neighboring States

Iowa's Sales Tax Structure — What Remote Sellers Need to Know

What Retailers Must Do Before August 7

The Savings — By the Numbers

What Changed for 2026 — And Why It Matters

What's Tax-Free August 16-22

What's NOT Tax-Free

The School Supplies Exemption That Already Kicked In

How Connecticut's Holiday Compares to Its Neighbors

Connecticut's Sales Tax Structure — Context That Matters

What Retailers Need to Do Before Sunday

The Savings — Under the New $300 Threshold

What Is Ohio's Sales Tax Holiday?

What's Tax-Free During the Holiday

What's NOT Included

What Changed From 2023

The Savings — By the Numbers

What Retailers Need to Do Before August 7

Ohio Is One of Nearly 20 States With a Sales Tax Holiday This Year

The Most Common Tax-Free Items in 2026

1. Clothing and Footwear

2. School Supplies

3. Computers and Electronics

4. Energy-Efficient Appliances

5. Emergency Preparation Supplies (Trending in 2026)

The Most Important Rule: Price Limits Matter

What Usually Does NOT Qualify

Why This Is So Confusing in 2026

What Businesses Need to Watch

The Bottom Line

Not Sure If You’re Applying the Right Rules?