2014 Back To School Tax-Free Weekend Shopping Guide: Part 1

Sixteen states currently have planned tax free holidays just in time for back to school shopping.

Depending on your state, shoppers can save on everything from back to school supplies to clothing and even computers and computer software.

Here’s part 1 of your state-by-state guide (Alabama through Louisiana) outlining exactly how you can save on back to school shopping during the 2014 tax-free holiday season.

Part 2 includes Maryland through Virginia and is available here.

Alabama

• When: August 1st through 3rd, 2014.
• Eligible Tax Free Purchases: School supplies and textbooks up to $50 per item; clothing up to $100 per item; computers, computer supplies, and software up to $750 per item; other books up to $30 each.
• What Else You Need to Know: Alabama residents can check here to see if their local municipality is participating in this year’s

Arkansas

• When: August 2nd and 3rd, 2014.
• Eligible Tax Free Purchases: Clothing less than $100 per item; clothing accessories such as handbags, jewelry, wallets, etc. less than $50 per item; select school supplies, school art supplies, and school instructional materials (no individual price limit).
• What Else You Need to Know: To see a complete list of eligible items, Arkansas shoppers may consult this itemized list.

Connecticut

• When: August 17th through 23rd, 2014. (Yes, a whole week!)
• Eligible Tax Free Purchases: Clothing and footwear less than $300.
• What Else You Need to Know: There are many surprising exempt clothing and footwear items, including Scout uniforms, diapers, formal wear rentals and even wedding gowns!

Florida

• When: August 1st through 3rd, 2014.
• Eligible Tax Free Purchases: Certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item; clothing, footwear and certain accessories selling for $100 or less per item; the first $750 of the sales price for computers and certain computer-related accessories.
• What Else You Need to Know: The computer exemption only applies to computer purchases made for noncommercial home or personal use. A complete list of eligible tax free items for Florida shoppers can be found here.

Georgia

• When: August 1st and 2nd, 2014.
• Eligible Tax Free Purchases: Clothing and footwear selling for $100 or less per item; computers, computer components, and software with a sales price of $1,000 or less per item (purchased noncommercial home or personal use only); school supplies, school art supplies, school computer supplies, and school instructional materials $20 or less per item (purchased noncommercial home or personal use only).
• What Else You Need to Know: Savvy shoppers can also take advantage of an additional tax free weekend October 3rd through 5th on Energy Star Qualified and WaterSense Products.

Iowa

• When: August 1st and 2nd, 2014.
• Eligible Tax Free Purchases: Select clothing and footwear with a selling price less than $100 per item.
• What Else You Need to Know: Even if a manufacturers’ coupons reduces an eligible item’s price to less than $100, Iowa shoppers must still pay tax on that item if the item was originally priced $100 or over without the coupon.

Louisiana

• When: August 1st and 2nd, 2014.
• Eligible Tax Free Purchases: The first $2,500 of all consumer purchases of tangible personal property for non-business use.
• What Else You Need to Know: Tax exemptions also apply to any items placed on layaway or picked up from layaway during the sales tax holiday.

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Part 2 includes Maryland through Virginia and is available here.

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Is your state offering a back to school tax free weekend?

How will you be taking advantage of these sales? Share your back to school shopping plans in the comments.

Photo via Aleks Dorohovich/Unsplash.