As families prepare for the new school year, Tennessee’s annual sales tax holiday offers an opportunity to save on clothing, school supplies, and computers. Williamson County Schools students in grades 1–12 return on Monday, August 10, while prekindergarten, early childhood, and kindergarten students begin on Monday, August 17.
The 2026 sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 am on Friday, July 31, and continues through 11:59 pm on Sunday, August 2. During the three-day weekend, qualifying purchases can be made without paying sales tax. Online purchases are also eligible when they meet the state’s requirements.
The timing can help families stretch their back-to-school budgets while shopping for items such as clothes, shoes, backpacks, notebooks, art supplies, and technology.
General clothing and school supplies priced at $100 or less per item qualify for the exemption. This includes many common back-to-school purchases, such as shirts, pants, socks, shoes, backpacks, binders, paper, pens, pencils, crayons, and art supplies.
Computers, laptops, and tablets purchased for personal use also qualify when priced at $1,500 or less. Storage media, individually purchased software, printer supplies, and some other technology-related products are not included.
The tax exemption applies to qualifying items purchased for personal use rather than for a business or trade. Price limits apply to each item, and some products, including jewelry, handbags, and sports equipment, remain taxable.
Because eligibility can vary by product, shoppers may want to review the Tennessee Department of Revenue’s list of tax-free items and taxable items before making a purchase.
Learn more about Tennessee’s traditional sales tax holiday, including detailed guidelines and eligible items, through the Tennessee Department of Revenue.
