Guide to 2012 Sales-Tax Holidays
Several states have sales-tax holidays in July and August for back-to-school shoppers.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Today
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more delivered daily. Smart money moves start here.
Sent five days a week
Kiplinger A Step Ahead
Get practical help to make better financial decisions in your everyday life, from spending to savings on top deals.
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Closing Bell
Get today's biggest financial and investing headlines delivered to your inbox every day the U.S. stock market is open.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Adviser Intel
Financial pros across the country share best practices and fresh tactics to preserve and grow your wealth.
Delivered weekly
Kiplinger Tax Tips
Trim your federal and state tax bills with practical tax-planning and tax-cutting strategies.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Retirement Tips
Your twice-a-week guide to planning and enjoying a financially secure and richly rewarding retirement
Sent bimonthly.
Kiplinger Adviser Angle
Insights for advisers, wealth managers and other financial professionals.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Investing Weekly
Your twice-a-week roundup of promising stocks, funds, companies and industries you should consider, ones you should avoid, and why.
Sent weekly for six weeks
Kiplinger Invest for Retirement
Your step-by-step six-part series on how to invest for retirement, from devising a successful strategy to exactly which investments to choose.
For most of you it probably seems too soon to start thinking about back-to-school shopping. But in just a few weeks several states will be offering their annual sales-tax holidays on purchases of clothing, school supplies or computers. Shopping on these days can be a good way to save a little money.
DOWNLOAD: The Kip Tips iPad App
Seventeen states will have sales-tax holidays this year -- and 12 will fall on the first weekend of August, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators. Georgia returns to the list of states offering tax breaks this year after canceling its sales-tax holiday in 2010 because of a budget deficit.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
See the list below to find out which states will have sales-tax holidays and when.
JULY
Mississippi: July 27-28. Purchases of clothing and footwear less than $100 exempt. More details.
AUGUST
Alabama: August 3-5. Purchases of clothing (up to $100), computers ($750), school supplies ($50) and books ($30) exempt. See a complete list of tax-exempt items.
Arkansas: August 4-5. Purchases of clothing less than $100 and school supplies are exempt. See a complete list of tax-exempt items.
Connecticut: August 19-25. Purchases of clothing and footwear less than $300 exempt. More details.
Florida: August 3-5. Purchases of clothing ($75) and school supplies ($15) exempt. See a complete list of tax-exempt items.
Georgia: August 10-11. Purchases of clothing ($100), computers ($1,000) and school supplies ($20) exempt. More details.
Iowa: August 3-4. Purchases of clothing and footwear less than $100 exempt. See a complete list of tax-exempt items.
Louisiana: August 3-4. Most items less than $2,500 exempt. More details.
Maryland: August 12-18. Purchases of clothing and footwear $100 or less exempt. More details.
Missouri: August 3-5. Purchases of clothing ($100), computers ($3,500) and school supplies ($50) exempt. More details.
New Mexico: August 3-5. Purchases of clothing (less than $100), computers ($1,000) and school supplies ($15) exempt. More details.
North Carolina: August 3-5. Purchases of clothing ($100), computers ($3,500), school supplies ($100) and sports equipment ($50) exempt. More details.
Oklahoma: August 3-5. Purchases of clothing and footwear less than $100 exempt. See a list of tax-exempt items.
South Carolina: August 3-5. Purchases of clothing, computers and school supplies exempt. See a list of tax-exempt items.
Tennessee: August 3-5. Purchases of clothing ($100), computers ($1,500) and school supplies ($100) exempt. More details.
Texas: August 17-19. Purchases of clothing, footwear, backpacks and school supplies less than $100 exempt. See a list of tax-exempt items.
Virginia: August 3-5. Purchases of clothing and footwear ($100) and school supplies ($20) exempt. See a list of tax-exempt items.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Award-winning journalist, speaker, family finance expert, and author of Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk.
Cameron Huddleston wrote the daily "Kip Tips" column for Kiplinger.com. She joined Kiplinger in 2001 after graduating from American University with an MA in economic journalism.
-
Here’s How to Stream the Super Bowl for LessWe'll show you the least expensive ways to stream football's biggest event.
-
The Cost of Leaving Your Money in a Low-Rate AccountWhy parking your cash in low-yield accounts could be costing you, and smarter alternatives that preserve liquidity while boosting returns.
-
I want to sell our beach house to retire now, but my wife wants to keep it.I want to sell the $610K vacation home and retire now, but my wife envisions a beach retirement in 8 years. We asked financial advisers to weigh in.
-
21 Last-Minute Gifts for Grandparents Day 2025 to Give Right NowHoliday Tips Last-minute gifting is never easy. But here are some ideas to celebrate Grandparents Day.
-
Texas Sales Tax-Free Weekend 2025Tax Holiday Here's what you needed to know about the Texas sales tax holiday.
-
Alabama Tax-Free Weekend 2025Tax Holiday Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 back-to-school Alabama sales tax holiday.
-
The Sweet 23: States Where Twix and Kit Kat Avoid the ‘Candy Tax’State Taxes There’s something spooky this Halloween, and it’s not just the ghouls. Find out if your state’s sales tax takes a bite out of sweet savings.
-
Florida Back-to-School Tax-Free Holiday 2025Sales Taxes The new tax-free holiday in Florida brought month-long savings on computers, clothing and other school supplies.
-
Five Reasons You Shouldn't Shop Amazon's Prime Big Deal DaysSmart Buying Are Amazon Prime Big Deal Days still a good deal? We'll break it down.
-
Five Ways to Save on Vacation Rental PropertiesTravel Use these strategies to pay less for an apartment, condo or house when you travel.
-
How to Avoid Annoying Hotel Fees: Per Person, Parking and MoreTravel Here's how to avoid extra charges and make sure you don't get stuck paying for amenities that you don't use.