Back to School: 2012 Sales Tax Holiday Weekend Dates by State

Back to school means Sales Tax Holidays for many states around the country. States including Missouri, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee have created a sales tax holiday weekend for parents and students who can save on the cost of back-to-school clothing and supplies.

Most states have certain requirements for purchases that fall under sales tax exempt. For example, in my state of Missouri, purchases that are sales tax exempt for the sales tax holiday weekend are clothing items (including shoes, underwear, etc.), school supplies, and computers. You cannot purchase a car during this weekend and expect it to be sales tax free.

I usually purchase the bulk of my items during the sales tax holiday weekend in order to save as much money as I can. Last year, I saved about $100 by buying during the tax free weekend. The year before, I saved almost $300.

Even if you don’t have a child going back to school, you can still participate in the sales tax free weekend as long as you are purchasing items under your state’s guidelines.

Below is a comprehensive list of 2012 Sales Tax Holiday Weekend Dates by State. You may want to check your state’s website to see the specifics of what is and what isn’t covered.

Via Wikipedia:

Alabama	clothing, computers, school supplies, books	1st weekend in August	3
Arkansas [5]	clothing, school supplies, books	1st weekend in August	2
Connecticut	clothing	3rd week in August	7
District of Columbia	clothing, school supplies	August and November	9
Florida	clothing, school supplies, books	2nd week in August	3
Georgia	clothing, school supplies, computers	1st weekend of August	4
Iowa	clothing	1st weekend of August	2
Louisiana [6]	all TPP – $2,500, hurricane preparedness items – $1,500, firearms, ammunition and hunting supplies	1st weekend of September	2
Massachusetts[7]	school supplies, computers, sports equipment, health & beauty aid	2nd weekend of August	2
Maryland [8]	clothing & footwear	August 14–20	7
	Energy star products	Feb. 19-21, 2011	3
Missouri[9]	clothing, school supplies, computers	1st weekend in August	3
New Mexico	clothing, school supplies, computers	1st weekend of August	3
North Carolina	clothing, school supplies, computers, sport equipment	1st weekend of August	3
Oklahoma	clothing	1st weekend of August	3
South Carolina	clothing, school supplies, computers	1st weekend of August	3
Tennessee	clothing, school supplies, computers	1st weekend of August	3
Texas[10]	clothing, diapers, backpacks, school supplies	3rd weekend of August	3
Virginia	clothing, school supplies, green appliances, hurricane preparedness items	May, August, October	3