When Is Tax-Free Weekend 2026 in the US, and What Can You Buy Online?

**In the US, tax-free weekend is set by each state, so for online orders shop through ShopBack before you pay, where ShopBack Cashback works like a discount, only easier than a promo code, and in 2026 both Texas and Ohio ran theirs from Friday, Aug. 7 to Sunday, Aug. 9. Texas exempted most clothing, footwear, backpacks and school supplies under $100 each; Ohio exempted clothing at $75 or less and school supplies at $20 or less, according to each state's tax office at the time of writing. Both apply online if you order and pay during the holiday. Texas has set its next one for Aug. 6 to 8, 2027.

ShopBack US is a free website and app that returns part of what you spend at partner stores as cash you can withdraw. Before you pay for an online order, go through ShopBack first: open the store's page on ShopBack, click through, and shop as normal. Join ShopBack US for free, then start your back-to-school cart from the Walmart page on ShopBack or the Target page on ShopBack.

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When is tax-free weekend in 2026?

There is no national tax-free weekend in the US; each state that holds one sets its own dates and rules. The two largest searches are for Texas and Ohio, and both lined up in 2026:

State	2026 back-to-school holiday	What it covered	Next date published
Texas	Fri, Aug. 7 to midnight Sun, Aug. 9	Most clothing, footwear, backpacks and specific school supplies under $100 each	Aug. 6 to 8, 2027
Ohio	12:00 a.m. Fri, Aug. 7 to 11:59 p.m. Sun, Aug. 9	Clothing at $75 or less, school supplies and instructional materials at $20 or less	Not yet announced at the time of writing

Sources: the Texas Comptroller's sales tax holiday page and Aug. 4, 2026 news release, and the Ohio Department of Taxation's sales tax holiday page.

Texas also runs smaller holidays earlier in the year. According to the Comptroller, the 2026 Emergency Preparation Supplies holiday ran April 25 to 27, and the ENERGY STAR and Water-Efficient Products holidays both ran May 23 to 25 (Memorial Day weekend). If you live in another state, your state's tax department publishes its own dates; many back-to-school holidays fall in July or August.

For timing, the rule is simple: plan the big back-to-school order for the holiday weekend, and price-check the same items a week or two before so you know what a real deal looks like. Retailers often run their own back-to-school sales around the same dates, so the tax saving and a store sale can land on the same weekend.

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What can I buy tax-free online?

In both Texas and Ohio, you can buy qualifying items tax free online, as long as you order and pay during the holiday. The item can ship and arrive after the weekend. What matters is when you pay.

Here is what each state says about online orders, at the time of writing:

• Texas: qualifying items can be bought "in-store, online, by telephone, mail, custom order, or any other means" from a Texas store or an online or catalog seller doing business in Texas. If your card is declined at 11 p.m. on Sunday and you resubmit on Monday, the Comptroller says the purchase is taxable.
• Ohio: items sold by mail, phone, email or internet qualify if ordered and paid for during the holiday. Orders paid before the holiday do not qualify, even if delivered during it. A backordered item charged after the holiday does not qualify.
• Ohio time zones: the seller's time zone sets the window. Ohio's own example: an order placed at 1:00 a.m. Friday from a West Coast seller is taxed, because it is still 10:00 p.m. Thursday there.

Before you pay for an online order on tax-free weekend, go through ShopBack first. The holiday removes the sales tax, and ShopBack works like a post-purchase discount on the same order, so the two cut different parts of your cost.

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What's covered in the Texas tax-free weekend, and does it apply online?

The Texas tax-free weekend covers most clothing, footwear, student backpacks and specific school supplies, each sold for less than $100, and it does apply online. The Texas Comptroller expected Texans to save about $142.5 million in state and local sales tax during the Aug. 7 to 9, 2026 holiday, and says Texans have saved more than $2 billion since the holiday started in 1999.

What qualifies in Texas, per the Comptroller at the time of writing:

• Clothing and footwear under $100 each. There is no limit on how many you buy. Two $80 shirts both qualify, even though the total is $160.
• Student backpacks under $100, including wheeled backpacks and messenger bags, up to 10 at a time without an exemption certificate.
• School supplies under $100 that appear on the Comptroller's list of qualifying supplies.

What does not qualify in Texas:

• Any item sold for $100 or more
• Jewelry, handbags, purses, wallets, watches, luggage, umbrellas and other accessories
• Computers, software and textbooks
• Specialized athletic or protective gear such as golf cleats and football pads (tennis shoes, jogging suits and swimsuits do qualify)
• Clothing subscription boxes, rentals, alterations and cleaning
• Framed backpacks, briefcases, gym or duffle bags and computer bags

Shipping counts toward the $100 limit in Texas. The Comptroller's example: $95 jeans with a $10 delivery charge come to $105, so tax is due on the full $105. If you are close to the line, look for a free-shipping threshold or store pickup before you pay.

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What's included in the Ohio tax-free weekend?

The 2026 Ohio tax-free weekend included clothing priced at $75 or less, school supplies at $20 or less, and school instructional materials at $20 or less. The Ohio Department of Taxation also said there would be no expanded holiday on items of $500 and under in 2026, so other goods were taxed as usual.

Ohio's definitions, at the time of writing:

• Clothing: everyday wearing apparel, including shoes, sneakers, boots, coats, jackets, hats, socks, underwear, swimwear, uniforms, formal wear and diapers.
• School supplies: a fixed list that includes binders, book bags, calculators, crayons, folders, glue, highlighters, lunch boxes, markers, notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, rulers, scissors and writing tablets.
• School instructional materials: reference books, maps and globes, textbooks and workbooks.

Not included in Ohio: clothing over $75, supplies or materials over $20, clothing accessories, protective and sports equipment, sewing supplies, and anything bought for a business.

The cap is per item. Ohio's example: six items at $70 each, $420 in total, are all exempt because each is $75 or less. A $60 school supply is fully taxed; a store cannot exempt the first $20 of it.

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Tax-free weekend best deals: how to pay the least

The best tax-free weekend deals come from combining good timing, a store sale and the right order of steps at checkout. The tax holiday removes the sales tax on qualifying items, but the shelf price is still set by the store.

A simple order of steps for a back-to-school cart:

1. Compare prices on the exact items. Check the same shoes or backpack at two or three stores before the weekend.
2. Look for a store discount or coupon. In Ohio, a store discount that brings an item under the cap makes it qualify. A manufacturer's coupon does not count for tax purposes, according to Ohio's guidance.
3. Go through ShopBack before you pay. Open the store's ShopBack page, click through and finish the order.
4. Pay during the holiday window, in the seller's time zone, and keep each item under your state's cap including shipping where it counts.

Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles. That makes it easy to work out your effective price: the checkout total minus what ShopBack returns.

Here is how a Texas clothing order can look. The sales tax rate is illustrative only, and your local rate will differ. The live Cashback rate is on the store's ShopBack page:

Step	Amount
Five clothing items at $30 each	$150.00
Sales tax outside the holiday, using the rate in the Comptroller's own example	$12.38
Sales tax during the holiday	$0.00
Price during the holiday, before Cashback	$150.00

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Target vs Walmart on tax-free weekend: price comparison

On tax-free weekend, the holiday itself treats Target and Walmart the same way, so the cheaper store is the one with the lower price on the exact item you want. In Texas, the exemption applies to any Texas store or online seller doing business in Texas; in Ohio, the same item rules apply to every seller.

How the big US stores for back-to-school shopping compare on their own strengths:

• Walmart covers clothing, shoes, backpacks and a deep range of school supplies in one cart, with pickup and delivery options and frequent Rollbacks.
• Target covers kids' and adult clothing, school supplies and dorm basics, and runs its own Target Circle offers for members.
• Old Navy focuses on family clothing basics, which is where most of the holiday's tax saving sits, since clothing is the biggest covered category in both states.

Best Buy sells calculators and backpacks too, but computers and software are not covered in Texas, so check each item against your state's list before you count on a tax saving.

A store that looks a little dearer can work out cheaper once the money back is counted. ShopBack pays a fixed cash amount on eligible Walmart orders and a percentage on Target and Old Navy orders, so compare the effective price, not only the sticker price. The live amounts are on the Walmart, Target and Old Navy pages on ShopBack.

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Does money back from ShopBack change what qualifies?

Usually not: the tax-free price cap is judged on the price at checkout, and ShopBack's cash comes back after the order. Ohio's guidance says rebates happen after the sale and do not lower the price for tax purposes. So a $78 jacket in Ohio is taxed even if money comes back later; a store discount that brings it to $75 at checkout would make it qualify.

Going through ShopBack is still worth doing on these orders, because it lowers what you pay overall. Before you pay for an online order, go through ShopBack first.

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Can you use a rewards card as well?

You can usually pay with a rewards credit card on a tax-free weekend order, and its rewards are typically earned on the amount charged. Card rewards are set by your card issuer, while the tax holiday is set by your state, so they normally sit side by side. Check your card's terms for any excluded purchase types.

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Frequently asked questions

When is tax-free weekend in 2026?

There is no single US date, because each state sets its own sales tax holiday. In 2026 both Texas and Ohio held their back-to-school tax-free weekend from Friday, Aug. 7 to Sunday, Aug. 9, according to each state's tax office. Texas has already set its next one for Aug. 6 to 8, 2027.

Can I buy tax-free online during tax-free weekend?

Usually yes, in states that hold one. Texas and Ohio both say qualifying items bought online qualify if you order and pay during the holiday, even if they arrive later. An order paid before the holiday, or a backorder charged after it, does not qualify.

What's covered in the Texas tax-free weekend?

According to the Texas Comptroller, most clothing, footwear, student backpacks and specific school supplies sold for less than $100 each are tax free. Items at $100 or more, jewelry, handbags, watches and other accessories, computers, software, textbooks and specialized athletic gear do not qualify.

Does the Texas tax-free weekend apply online?

Yes. The Texas Comptroller says qualifying items can be bought tax free from an online or catalog seller doing business in Texas, as long as you pay during the holiday. Shipping counts toward the $100 limit, so a $95 item with $10 delivery is taxable.

What's included in the Ohio tax-free weekend?

According to the Ohio Department of Taxation, the 2026 holiday covered clothing priced at $75 or less, school supplies at $20 or less, and school instructional materials such as textbooks and workbooks at $20 or less. Ohio said there would be no expanded $500 holiday in 2026.

Do coupons help an item qualify for tax-free weekend?

In Ohio, a store discount or coupon that brings an item under the price cap makes it qualify, but a manufacturer's coupon does not lower the price for tax purposes, and rebates paid after the sale do not either. Check your own state's rules before you rely on a coupon.

Is Target or Walmart cheaper on tax-free weekend?

It depends on the item, because the tax holiday applies the same way at any seller doing business in the state. Compare the final price of the exact item at each store, then go through ShopBack before you pay so the effective price drops.

Can I go through ShopBack on tax-free weekend?

Yes. Before you pay for an online order at a partner store such as Walmart, Target or Old Navy, go through ShopBack first. The tax holiday lowers the tax, and ShopBack works as a post-purchase discount on the same order.

Does money back from ShopBack change whether an item is tax free?

Usually not. Ohio's guidance says rebates paid after the sale do not lower the price for tax purposes, so judge the price cap on what the item costs at checkout. ShopBack's cash comes back after the order, which lowers what you actually pay overall.

What is the effective price of a tax-free weekend order?

The effective price is what you pay at checkout minus what ShopBack returns. The live rate or amount is on each store's ShopBack page.

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Related reads

Go through ShopBack US before you pay at: Walmart · Target · Old Navy

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About this guide

Dates, item lists and online-order rules come from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (sales tax holiday publications and its Aug. 4, 2026 news release) and the Ohio Department of Taxation's sales tax holiday page. Other states set their own holidays, so check your state's tax department for its dates. Cashback rates change, so this guide points to the live rate on each store's ShopBack page instead of quoting one.

Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Sales tax holiday dates, qualifying items and price caps are set by each state and can change from year to year. Cashback amounts vary by merchant and over time. Check your state's official guidance before you buy. This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional, tax or financial advice.