Summer is winding down, and it's almost time for back-to-school shopping. If your state offers a sales tax holiday -- fewer than 20 states do this year -- you might be able to give your wallet a bit of a break. And that's true whether or not you have children: These sales-tax holidays can be a good time to buy new clothes, a computer or other items.

Sales tax holidays: How they work

Many states offer their sales tax holidays in August, though some are in July. Most states limit the types of items that are eligible for the sales tax holiday -- clothing is the most common qualified purchase -- and they usually put a dollar limit on how much of the purchase will be tax-free.

But many states let you buy multiple items tax-free, as long as each of those purchases is below the state's limit. For example, a common dollar limit is $100 for tax-free purchases. Many states will let you purchase, say, two coats -- each of which costs $80 -- and still enjoy a completely tax-free purchase even though the total is $160. Often, online purchases are included in the sales-tax holiday.

Learn more:

These 5 states don't have a sales tax

Still, the rules for sales tax holidays vary widely. For example, Massachusetts' tax-free holiday has few limitations, letting you buy a broad variety of personal items tax-free, as long as each item costs $2,500 or less.

South Carolina places no dollar limit on a variety of purchases. Virginia imposes different dollar limits depending on the type of item -- but goes beyond back-to-school products to include disaster-preparedness purchases, such as portable generators.

Be sure to check the tax department website, included for each state below, to confirm the details. That way, you can know what to expect and maximize your savings when it's time to shop. (Here's more on how sales taxes work.)

Learn more:

These 9 states don't have income tax -- that doesn't always mean you'll save money

State-by-state: Sales tax holiday details

Click on each state below to see the dates for that state's sales tax holiday in 2025, and an overview of which purchases qualify:

Alabama

Sales tax holiday: July 18-20

Clothing and accessories: $100 or less per item

School and art supplies: $50 or less per item

Computers, printers and printer supplies: $750 or less per item

Textbooks: $30 or less per item

Alabama's tax holiday website.

Arkansas

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 2-3

Clothing: Less than $100 per item

Accessories: Less than $50 per item

School supplies and art supplies: No dollar limit

Instructional materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, maps: No dollar limit

Arkansas' tax holiday website.

Connecticut

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 17-23

Clothing and footwear: Less than $100 per item

Connecticut's tax holiday website.

Florida

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-31

Clothing, footwear and accessories: $100 or less per item

School supplies: $50 or less per item

Computers and accessories: $1,500 or less per item

Learning aids: $30 or less per item

Florida's tax holiday website.

Iowa

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-2

Clothing and footwear: Less than $100 per item

Iowa's tax holiday website.

Maryland

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 10-16

Clothing and footwear: $100 or less per item

Backpacks/bookbags: The first $40 is tax-free

Maryland's tax holiday website.

Massachusetts

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 9-10

Items of tangible personal property: $2,500 or less per item

Massachusetts' tax holiday website.

Mississippi

Sales tax holiday: July 11-13

Clothing, footwear and school supplies: Less than $100 per item

Mississippi's tax holiday website.

Missouri

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-3

School supplies: $50 or less

Computers: $1,500 or lessComputer software: $350 or lessClothing: $100 or lessGraphing calculators: $150 or lessMissouri's tax holiday website.

New Mexico

Sales tax holiday: July 25-27

Clothing, shoes and accessories: Less than $100 per article

Computers: $1,000 or less per item

Related computer hardware: $500 or less per item

School supplies (notebooks, paper, pens, pencils, crayons, art supplies, staples, staplers, scissors and rulers): Less than $30 per item

New Mexico's tax holiday website.

Ohio

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-14

Almost all tangible personal items: $500 or less

Ohio's tax holiday website.

Oklahoma

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-3

Clothing and footwear: Less than $100 per item

Oklahoma's tax holiday website.

South Carolina

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-3

Clothing, accessories, shoes, school supplies, backpacks, computers, printers and printer supplies, computer software, bed linens and bath accessories: No price limits for tax exemption

South Carolina's tax holiday website.

Tennessee

Sales tax holiday: July 25-27

Clothing and footwear: $100 or less per article

School and art supplies: $100 or less per itemComputers: $1,500 or less per itemTennessee's tax holiday website.

Texas

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 8-10

Clothing and footwear: Less than $100

School supplies and backpacks: Less than $100Texas' tax holiday website.

Virginia

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-3

Clothing and footwear: $100 or less per item

School supplies: $20 or less per item

Virginia also includes disaster-preparedness and energy efficient home purchases in its sales tax holiday:

Portable generators: $1,000 or less per item

Gas-powered chainsaws: $350 or less per item

Chainsaw accessories: $60 or less per item

Other specified hurricane preparedness items: $60 or less per item

Energy Star(TM) and WaterSense(TM) products purchased for noncommercial home or personal use: $2,500 or less per item

Virginia's tax holiday website.

West Virginia

Sales tax holiday: Aug. 1-4

Clothing: $125 or less

Computers: $500 or lessSchool instruction material: $20 or lessSchool supplies: $50 or lessSports equipment: $150 or lessWest Virginia's tax holiday website.

Learn more:

State income and other tax rates: Check your state's rates

Other state tax holidays

Some states offer sales tax holidays for specific locales or groups:

Alaska: The state doesn't charge a state sales tax, but local areas do. One such municipality -- the Skagway Borough -- offered a sales tax holiday from Oct. 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025.

Louisiana: On the first full weekend each September, the state offers a tax-free holiday on guns, ammunition and some hunting supplies.

Nevada: From Oct. 31 through Nov. 2, the state offers a sales tax holiday for National Guard members and their families.

Learn more:

Current federal tax brackets and income tax rates