Sales Tax Holidays, 2010
This year, many states throughout the nation will offer a sales tax holiday, a period of time during which merchants will not charge customers sales tax. For a few days each year, you can buy certain items without paying the state sales tax. This is a great way to find the purchases you would buy anyway for a discount.
Each state that offers a sales tax holiday sets its own qualifying dates and products. Qualifying products vary by state, but most who have a tax holiday offer school supplies as qualifying purchases. Others include Energy Star products, computers, weather preparedness items, and in one case, hunting equipment.
Here’s a list of each state’s sales tax holiday this year.
| State | 2010 Dates | Items | Max Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Aug 6-8 | Clothing | $100 |
| Computers | $750 | ||
| School supplies | $50 | ||
| Books | $30 | ||
| Connecticut | Aug 15-21 | Clothing and footwear | $300 |
| Florida | Aug 13-15 | Clothing and books | $50 |
| School supplies | $10 | ||
| Illinois * | Aug 6-15 | School supplies | n/a |
| Clothing and footwear | $100 | ||
| Iowa | Aug 6-7 | Clothing | $100 |
| Louisiana | Aug 6-7 | Tangible personal property | $2,500 |
| Louisiana | May 29-30 | Hurricane preparedness items | $1,500 |
| Louisiana | Sep 3-5 | Firearms, ammunition, hunting supplies | n/a |
| Mississippi | Jul 30-31 | Clothing and footwear | $100 |
| Missouri | Apr 19-25 | Energy Star products | $1,500 |
| Missouri | Aug 6-8 | Clothing | $100 |
| Computers | $3,500 | ||
| School supplies | $50 | ||
| New Mexico | Aug 6-8 | Clothing | $100 |
| Computers | $1,000 | ||
| School supplies | $15 | ||
| North Carolina | Aug 6-8 | Clothing | $100 |
| School supplies | $100 | ||
| Instructional material | $300 | ||
| Computers | $3,500 | ||
| Other computer equipment | $250 | ||
| Sports equipment | $50 | ||
| North Carolina | Nov 5-7 | Energy Star products | n/a |
| Oklahoma | Aug 6-8 | Clothing | $100 |
| South Carolina | Aug 6-8 | Clothing, school supplies, computers, other | n/a |
| Tennessee | Aug 6-8 | Clothing | $100 |
| School supplies | $100 | ||
| Computers | $1,500 | ||
| Texas | Aug 20-22 | Clothing, backpacks and school supplies | $100 |
| Texas | May 29-31 | Air conditioners | $6,000 |
| Other Energy Star products | $2,000 | ||
| Vermont | Mar 6 | Personal purchase | $2,000 |
| Virginia | May 25-31 | Hurricane preparedness items | $60 |
| Generators | $1,000 | ||
| Virginia | Aug 6-8 | Clothing | $100 |
| School supplies | $20 | ||
| Virginia | Oct 8-11 | Energy Star products | $2,500 |
| West Virginia | Sep 1 - Nov 30 | Energy Star products | $5,00 |
* Note: As of June 21, 2010, the bill that would create the Illinois sales tax holiday has not been signed into law. If it is, sales tax in this state during the holiday would be reduced from 6.25% to 1.25%.
We’ll update this list as we become aware of official changes.
For 2019 sales tax holiday by state visit here.
Article comments
We live in a low cost area. Our total tax is 8%. NY always follows CA in all of the bad choices, so I imagine we’re not too far behind the 10% rate. (Other areas are higher.)
I wish Ohio had these tax holidays. They do the tax anywhere from 6.5% to 8%.
Where is Illinois? The IL General Assembly will be offering a sales tax holiday on school suplies from August 6-15, 2010. There will be no state sales tax on clothing, shoes, most school supplies; like some other states, only local sales tax (1.25% in most IL) still apply. MAssachussetts may have state sales tax holiday in August, depending how much federal stimulus funding they get. Keep your list growing.
The bill that would create the 2010 sales tax holiday in Illinois has not yet been signed into law by the governor. Until it is signed into law, the holiday is speculation. Regardless, I’ve added it to the list for now. If any additional, official sales tax holidays are announced, I will add them to the list.
Where’s California? I mean, 10% sales tax is kinda brutal, which is why I don’t buy anything! Whooo hooo!
Ya, where is California? Drats! We’re always left out of the good stuff!
Hey FS, would be nice for that watch you wanted to buy! Could you write it off as a deductible work related expense, too? 😉
You have medical ‘organic plants’ available to you! LOL
No surprise NY is not on the list.
My state never has these…damn.
Sorry about that. Talk to your state congressmen if it’s an important issue to you. 🙂
I’m in Arizona, we don’t have sales tax holidays here. I would sure plan to take advantage of something like this if we did! I have included your post in my weekly roundup with hopes that folks who live in other states will find the information useful.
Thanks!
Hey Flexo, any idea if this will work for online purchases made in a particular vendor’s home state? I can see that with our nearby states of NJ, NY and PA out of the equation we’ll essentially be left out of this one, otherwise.
Since we’re in NJ, we only pay sales tax online when the retailer has a storefront presence in NJ. If we had a tax holiday, even retailers with a storefront policy *should* offer tax free sales. But we don’t. Some states currently require all retailers to pay sales tax regardless of whether there’s a storefront presence.
… but I’m sure you’re paying your NJ Use Tax on your “tax free” purchases, right ;-).
Since TX doesn’t have an income tax, I have to submit a separate paper form for the TX Use Tax. It feels like I’m probably only 1 of 5 people in the entire state that pays it, though.