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2026 Tennessee Sales Tax Holiday: Dates, Eligible Items and Purchase Limits
Need a holiday from taxes? Tennessee has chosen two weekends in 2026 to provide taxpayers with some well-deserved tax relief by temporarily eliminating the Tennessee sales tax burden. One of those tax-free weekends is just around the corner.
Tennessee's annual sales tax holiday returns July 31st through August 2nd, 2026, giving shoppers a chance to save nearly 10% on qualifying purchases just in time for back-to-school shopping.
The holiday waives not only state sales tax of 7%, but also local sales taxes often ranging from 2%-3%, for what equates to a 9-10% discount in most TN localities. Families purchasing school supplies for multiple children can see meaningful savings, but the largest dollar savings typically come from qualifying technology purchases. For example, purchasing a qualifying $1,500 laptop could save you $140-$150 in sales tax, depending on your local tax rate. Note, businesses selling to other businesses do not qualify for this sales tax exemption regardless of the item.
No identification or exemption certificate is required. If you purchase an item that qualifies to be sold tax exempt, you should not pay sales tax on the item sold. So basically, consumers don’t have to do anything as it is up to businesses to not charge the sales tax for qualifying purchases. However, we do recommend you pay close attention to your receipts during that weekend to ensure you are not taxed on qualifying items and know what qualifies ahead of time. See below for examples of qualifying purchases.
Online purchases are also applicable for this tax holiday provided the order is a qualifying item, is placed and paid for during the sales tax holiday, and the items are shipped to a Tennessee address. Note, if you paid for the online purchase prior to the tax holiday dates and it is received during the holiday period, this does not qualify.
Overall, it is a great way to save some money on low-cost items you may need throughout the year. However, caution must be given, the price limits are absolute. If a qualifying item costs even one cent over the applicable limit, for example, a $100.01 shirt or a $1,500.01 laptop, the entire item becomes subject to sales tax.
The next tax-free weekend will be on the last weekend in October related to food and ingredients, an additional news article and reminder will be posted closer to the tax holiday, so make sure to follow HHM to keep up to date.
Should you have any questions or concerns about the upcoming tax holiday, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your trusted tax advisor, HHM CPAs.
What Purchases May Qualify?
Clothing – Any items of clothing priced at $100 or less (yes, sale prices count) such as socks, shirts, shoes, dresses, etc. Accessories such as jewelry and handbags, along with sports and recreational equipment, are specifically excluded from the savings.
School and Art Supplies – School basics such as backpacks, binders, and writing utensils, as well as art class essentials like paint, brushes, and sketchpads all fall under the same $100 per item rule.
Computers – Computers priced at $1,500 or less—including desktops, laptops, and tablets—qualify for the exemption. To qualify, the purchase must include a complete, ready-to-use computer system. Stand-alone accessories such as monitors, keyboards, printers, and software purchased separately do not qualify.