Ohio’s 2026 Tax-Free Holiday

Ohio’s tax-free weekend begins August 7th and ends August 9th. This three-day period allows shoppers to save money before school starts. The tax-free holiday officially begins on Friday, August 7, at 12:00 a.m. and ends on Sunday, August 9, at 11:59 p.m.

What Qualifies?

During the holiday, the following items are eligible for tax exemption:

• School supplies priced at $20 or less per item
• Clothing priced at $75 or less per item
• School instructional materials priced at $20 or less per item

School Supplies Include:

binders; book bags; calculators; cellophane tape; blackboard chalk; compasses; composition books; crayons; erasers; folders, expandable, pocket, plastic, and manila; glue, paste, and paste sticks; highlighters; index cards; index card boxes; legal pads; lunch boxes; markers; notebooks; paper, loose-leaf ruled notebook paper, copy paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper, poster board, and construction paper; pencil boxes and other school supply boxes; pencil sharpeners; pencils; pens; protractors; rulers; scissors; and writing tablets. 

Instructional Materials Include:

Reference books, reference maps and globes, textbooks, and workbooks. These are written materials commonly used by students in a course of study as references to learn the subject being taught.

Important Note: Items priced at $500 or less are no longer automatically eligible for tax exemption. Only qualifying clothing, school supplies, and instructional materials meeting the price limits above are exempt.

Can You Purchase Online?

Yes. Eligible items can be purchased online during the tax-free weekend without paying Ohio state or local sales tax, provided the purchase qualifies.

During the weekend, shoppers can purchase eligible items without paying state or local sales tax. The standard Ohio sales tax is 5.75%, and county taxes range from 0.75% to 2.25%.

Some Items That Are Not Eligible

• Alcohol, tobacco, cigarettes, or vapor products
• Gift cards
• Restaurant food
• Boats
• Motor vehicles
• Motor vehicle repairs

If you would like to review specific scenarios where sales tax is included in a transaction or not, click here.

We hope you save big on all your back-to-school essentials, whether you’re stocking up on school supplies, classroom supplies, backpacks, or everyday basics.