Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
USA TODAY
Back-to-school-shopping 2024: See which 17 states offer sales-tax holidays
By Betty Lin-Fisher, USA TODAY,
3 days ago
School kids will likely groan about back-to-school shopping, but several states are once again offering sales-tax holidays to help families save on school supplies.
Connecticut is the last of 17 states to have its sales-tax holiday, which starts on Aug. 18 and runs through Aug. 24. Maryland's tax-free holiday, which started on Aug. 11 continues through Aug. 17.
Most of the 17 states hosting the sales tax holidays this summer offer a break on sales tax for items related to school, like clothing, shoes, electronics and school supplies, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators. Two states – Ohio and Massachusetts – have expanded tax-free holidays that go beyond school-related purchases.
Each state sets its own dates which are generally in July or August. Many states have already had their tax holidays.
New Jersey no longer has a tax-free holiday for school supplies. Legislation earlier this year repealed it.
School supplies are on asale at the back-to-school section at Meijer's in North Canton, Ohio store on Monday, July 22, 2024. Kevin Whitlock / Massillon Independent/ USA TODAY NETWORK
Families have already begun back-to-school shopping
As of early July, more than half, or 55%, of back-to-school and college shoppers had already begun to buy items for the school year, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics' annual survey.
“Families and students are eager to get a jumpstart on their shopping for the start of the school year,'' Katherine Cullen, National Retail Federation (NRF) Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights, said in a press release. "Retailers have anticipated this early demand and are well-positioned to offer a variety of products at competitive prices.”
Families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $874.68 on clothing, shoes, electronics and school supplies, according to the NRF. That's $15 less than last year's record of $890.07, but is the second-highest amount in the survey's history.
Total back-to-school spending is expected to reach $38.8 billion, also the second-highest on record after last year's high of $41.5 billion, the NRF said.
The most popular destinations for back-to-school shopping are online (57%), department stores (50%), discount stores (47%), clothing stores (42%) and electronic stores (23%).
College students and their families are expected to spend more. On average, they will spend $1,364.75, about the same as last year's $1,366.95. Total college back-to-school spending is expected to reach $86.6 billion, the second-highest after last year's $94 billion.
Consumers remain inflation wary while school-supply shopping
Consumers are feeling negative about the U.S. economy and are inflation weary, according to a new back-to-school study by Ankura Consulting, that showed 51% of respondents had those feelings.
Nearly 75% of shoppers said credit card and personal debt will influence their back-to-school shopping budget.
And consumers are weighing other parts of their budget: nearly 50% of back-to-school shoppers have experienced a significant increase in the cost of their car insurance, while 36% are seeing an increase in their home insurance and 32% have seen a rise in their health insurance. Those cost-of-living expenses eat into their disposable spending, Ankura said.
Customers browse through school supplies for sale at the Walmart on Parkside Drive in Turkey Creek, Tennessee in 2023 during Tennessee's annual sales tax holiday. Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
Does my state have a school supply sales tax holiday?
Here is a list of participating states and what's tax free, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators . Rules and dates vary by state so check the state’s website for the most updated information. In some instances, local taxes may also still apply.
If a dollar amount is not listed, the state did not appear to indicate a spending limit on that item. A link to most states' details of their holiday are hyperlinked to the name of each state. Generally most purchases online also qualify for the sales-tax holiday, but check your state's requirements.
Customers browse through school supplies for sale at the Walmart on Parkside Drive in Turkey Creek, Tennessee in 2023 during Tennessee's annual sales tax holiday. Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
Eligible retail items bought for personal use costing $2,500 or less (not limited to school supplies). There are several exceptions when tax still applies, including: meals, motor vehicles and boats, gas and electricity, tobacco, marijuana or alcoholic beverages and any single item with a price more than $2,500.
July 12-14 (A Senate bill changed the holiday from the last Friday and Saturday in July to the second Friday and Saturday and extended it through Sunday).
Ohio's tax-free holiday in 2024 has been expanded to 10 days and is not limited to school-related supplies. The tax-free period includes anything that is considered tangible personal property that is $500 or less, except watercraft, anything with an outboard motor that must be titled, a motor vehicle, alcohol, tobacco, a vapor product or a product that contains marijuana. Dine-in meals, which are usually taxed, are also tax-free if they are less than $500.
Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at blinfisher@USATODAY.com or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher . Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0