State Sales Tax Holiday Begins this Weekend in Many States – Full List of States and Dates Available

For many beginning their back-to-school shopping, the 2012 sales tax holiday is a welcome added discount on the annual shopping event. Across the country a growing number of states participate in the tax-free shopping for back to school items, and this weekend, August 3 – 5, marks the sales tax holiday shopping weekend in a majority of the participating states.

Among the states offering the sales tax holiday this weekend are: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

There are limits on the amount of items which can be purchased tax-free during the sales tax holiday. Most states cap the savings at about $100 on clothing and shoes, although some are higher. Computers are also included tax-free items in many states and have much higher purchase amount caps of $1000 or more. Books and other school supplies are also on the tax-free list in most states.

Most major retailers including Target, Walmart and other also offer additional back-to-school sales during the sales tax holiday’s to help shoppers save. Most stores also have details posted in-store and online about the eligible items and the caps on the sales tax savings.

A full list of other states offering the break from paying sales tax on back-to-school items, as well as a description of the qualifying items and their respective caps is available at: http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/sales_holiday.html.