When Is the Tax-Free Weekend in Ohio? What to Know

Ohio’s sales tax holiday is an annual event designed to provide financial relief to consumers. During this designated period, sales tax is temporarily suspended on specific merchandise categories, up to certain price thresholds. This initiative aims to ease the burden of back-to-school shopping for families and offers a general benefit to shoppers.

Finding the Official Dates

The Ohio General Assembly establishes the dates for Ohio’s sales tax holiday, outlined in Ohio Revised Code Section 5739.02. While the holiday consistently occurs in early August, usually coinciding with the first full weekend of the month, the exact dates can vary slightly each year.

To verify the precise dates, consumers should consult the Ohio Department of Taxation’s official website. This is the most reliable resource for confirming the sales tax holiday period and planning purchases effectively.

Items Included in the Exemption

During Ohio’s sales tax holiday, specific categories of items are exempt from sales tax, each with its own per-item price limit. This exemption applies to clothing, school supplies, and instructional materials. The tax exemption applies to each individual item, not to the total transaction value.

Clothing items priced at $75 or less per item qualify for the exemption. This includes a wide range of apparel such as shirts, blouses, pants, skirts, shorts, dresses, shoes, boots, socks, and jackets.

School supplies and instructional materials are also exempt, provided each item costs $20 or less. School supplies encompass items like pens, pencils, notebooks, paper, binders, crayons, markers, glue, rulers, and calculators. Instructional materials include items such as globes, maps, textbooks, and workbooks that are typically used in an educational setting.

Items Excluded from the Exemption

While many items qualify for the sales tax holiday, several categories and specific goods remain subject to sales tax. Any single item, even if it falls into an exempt category, becomes taxable if its price exceeds the specified limit. For instance, a jacket costing $80 would not qualify for the exemption if the clothing limit is $75.

Certain clothing-related items are excluded from the exemption. These include accessories such as jewelry, handbags, and watches, as well as protective equipment like sports pads or helmets. Clothing not intended for everyday wear, such as costumes or athletic uniforms, also remains taxable.

Beyond clothing, a range of school-related items and general merchandise are not exempt. This includes electronic devices like computers, tablets, and headphones, along with software. Sports equipment, musical instruments, and furniture, such as desks, are also excluded. The sales tax holiday does not extend to general merchandise, electronics, appliances, or food items.

Tips for Tax-Free Shopping

Shoppers can maximize their savings during the sales tax holiday by employing several practical strategies. For online purchases, the exemption typically applies if the item is ordered and shipped during the tax-free period, though specific retailer policies and state laws regarding sales tax situs can influence this.

When considering returns or exchanges, items purchased during the tax-free weekend will not incur sales tax upon return, as no tax was collected at the time of the original sale. A refund for such an item will not include sales tax that was never paid. Utilizing coupons or discounts can further reduce costs, as the sales tax exemption applies to the discounted price of an item.

Layaway purchases can also qualify for the exemption if the final payment is made and the item is picked up during the designated tax-free period. Creating a detailed list of eligible items, checking store hours in advance, and being prepared for potentially larger crowds can streamline the process.