Get your back-to-school lists ready for Tennessee’s tax-free shopping weekend

Of course, going back to school in early August means back-to-school shopping in late July, so that’s when Tennessee’s annual sales tax holiday falls.

Here’s what you need to know.

• This year’s sales tax holiday will be the weekend of July 26-28, according to the Tennessee Department of Revenue website.
• Clothing, school supplies and computers can be purchased without sales tax those days.
• Eligible clothing is general apparel (shirts, pants, dresses, socks and shoes) costing $100 or less per item. Clothes that cost more than $100 per item aren’t eligible for sales-tax-free purchase, nor are jewelry, handbags or sports equipment.
• Eligible school and art supplies are those costing $100 or less per item, including backpacks, binders, crayons, paper, pens, pencils and rulers, and art supplies such as clay, drawing pads, paint and paintbrushes. Individual items that cost more than $100 aren’t eligible for tax-free sales.
• Computers for personal use – including laptops and tablets – that cost $1,500 or less are eligible. The sales tax holiday does not extend to items such as flash drives or compact discs, individually purchased software, printer supplies or household appliances.
• Eligible items purchased online or through catalogs for delivery in Tennessee qualify for the state sales tax exemption, according to the Tennessee Department of Revenue.
• Unlike 2023, when the state also declared a months-long sales-tax holiday for groceries, the long weekend for tax-free back-to-school shopping is Tennessee’s only sales tax holiday for 2024.
• Find more information online at tn.gov/revenue/taxes/sales-and-use-tax/sales-tax-holiday