Ohio families can save money on back-to-school shopping this weekend as the state’s annual Sales Tax Holiday returns.
The tax-free weekend begins at 12:00 a.m. Friday and runs through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, giving shoppers three days to purchase qualifying school-related items without paying Ohio sales tax.
This year’s event returns to the traditional back-to-school format after the expanded sales tax holidays offered in recent years.
It will not include the broader exemption on items priced up to $500.
Governor Mike DeWine is encouraging Ohioans to take advantage of the annual tax break.
“Ohio’s Sales Tax Holiday comes at a time of year when families are getting ready for back-to-school,” DeWine said. “The sales tax break is designed to provide meaningful savings for families as they purchase new school essentials for the upcoming year.”
During the holiday, shoppers can purchase the following items tax-free:
- Clothing priced at $75 or less per item
- School supplies priced at $20 or less per item
- School instructional materials, including textbooks, workbooks, reference books, maps, and globes, priced at $20 or less per item.
Qualifying school supplies include items such as backpacks, binders, notebooks, loose-leaf paper, pencils, pens, crayons, markers, rulers, scissors, calculators, lunch boxes, glue, folders, and composition books.
Clothing includes most everyday apparel, shoes, coats, socks, uniforms, diapers, and other general-use clothing.
Ohio Tax Commissioner Patricia Harris said the annual holiday benefits both families and retailers.
“This annual holiday provides meaningful savings for Ohio families while supporting back-to-school preparation,” Harris said. “We encourage shoppers and retailers to plan ahead and take advantage of the exemption.”
Shoppers should also remember that the price of each item determines whether it qualifies—not the total purchase.
For example, six shirts priced at $70 each are all tax-free, but a single $80 jacket is fully taxable.
The exemption applies to eligible purchases made both in stores and online, as long as the item is ordered and paid for during the tax-free weekend, even if it’s delivered later.
For a complete list of qualifying items and frequently asked questions, visit the Ohio Department of Taxation’s Sales Tax Holiday webpage HERE.
