Back-to-school sales tax holidays: When you can save money on school supplies

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) — A total of 17 states across the country will be holding back-to-school sales tax holidays, during which, sales tax will not be collected on certain school supplies.

In Tennessee, the holiday is July 29th – July 31st. Items like clothing, supplies, and computers will be exempt from sales tax. Items sold online are eligible as well.

In Missouri, the sales tax holiday is August 5th – 7th. It’s important to note, however, that some cities, counties, and districts have opted to not participate.

In Illinois, the tax holiday will last two weekends from August 5th – 14th. The state will reduce the sales tax on school supplies by five percent. Consumers will only pay 1.25% plus the local sales tax.

In contrast, Kentucky does not offer a tax-free holiday of any kind.

Several bills have been proposed over the past 10 years, but none have been enacted.

The National Retail Federation projects that back-to-school spending from kindergarten through college will total $111 billion this year, up slightly from 2021.