Ohio Tax-Free Weekend 2026 Is Coming Soon
The annual Ohio tax-free weekend can help you save on back-to-school shopping. Here’s how to save the most money.
The 2026 Ohio tax-free weekend starts at 12:00 AM on Friday, August 7, and will run until 11:59 PM on Sunday, August 9. That gives Ohio shoppers three full days to take advantage of tax savings.
Previously, Ohio expanded its sales tax holiday to a 10-day event covering almost all tangible personal property up to $500 (including electronics, furniture, appliances, etc.). But this year, for 2026, the Ohio legislature reverted to the traditional 3-day back-to-school model with thresholds set at $75 for clothing items and $20 for supplies.
Families could save at least $5.75 on every $100 of eligible purchases made during the sales tax holiday.
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Ohio tax-free weekend for 2026: What's included?
Only items for personal (or instructional) use are tax-exempt during the sales tax holiday.
So, anything purchased for a business is taxable, even if the item would otherwise be exempt during the tax-free weekend. Here are some other rules.
- Sets that include both taxable and tax-exempt items don't qualify for the sales tax holiday.
- Clothing and footwear rentals are not tax-exempt.
- Items placed on layaway during the sales tax holiday are tax-exempt.
- Items picked up from layaway during the sales tax holiday are also tax-exempt.
What is included in Ohio’s tax-free weekend?
Ohio’s tax-free weekend includes clothing, footwear, school supplies, and instructional materials. But there are some exceptions.
For example, each item of clothing must be priced at $75 or less to qualify, and individual school supplies and instructional items cannot exceed $20.
Below are some items that don't qualify for the tax holiday, regardless of price.
- Accessories (sunglasses, handbags, headbands, jewelry, etc.)
- Sports equipment (cleats, baseball gloves, shoulder pads, ballet shoes, etc.)
- Protective equipment (such as hard hats and respirator masks)
- Sewing materials (including fabric and patterns)
Note: Computers, tablets, TVs, and general consumer electronics are no longer tax-exempt in 2026.
Ohio tax-free school supplies
Ohio only allows certain school supplies and instructional materials to be purchased tax-free. These are some items that qualify for the sales tax holiday.
*But check the state's Department of Revenue site for a complete list.
- Binders, book bags, calculators, and cellophane tape
- Blackboard chalk, compasses, composition books, crayons, and erasers
- Folders, glue, paste, highlighters, index cards and index card boxes
- Legal pads, lunch boxes, markers and notebooks
- Paper (including tracing paper, construction paper, copy paper and graph paper)
- Poster boards, pencil boxes, pencil sharpeners and pencils
- Pens, protractors, rulers, scissors and writing tablets.
- Reference maps and globes
- Textbooks and workbooks
Ohio tax-free weekend for online shopping
Thankfully, online shopping qualifies for Ohio’s sales tax holiday.
For online orders to be tax-free, you must have ordered and paid for eligible items during the sales tax holiday. According to the Ohio Department of Taxation, the retailer must have also accepted your order for “immediate shipment” during the three days.
This means that pre-orders for items shipped at a later date don't qualify. However, the delivery date doesn't determine eligibility. So, you don’t need to worry if your package hasn't arrived at your house yet.
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