Missouri’s tax-free weekend runs Friday, August 7, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. through Sunday, August 9, 2026, at midnight, and during that window there is no state or local sales tax on qualifying clothing, school supplies, computers, and software.1Missouri Department of Revenue. Back to School Sales Tax Holiday You don’t have to be a Missouri resident to use it, and every city, county, and special taxing district has to participate, so the combined rate drops to zero statewide on eligible items.2Missouri Department of Revenue. Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday FAQs
When the Holiday Starts and Ends
The holiday always begins at 12:01 a.m. on the first Friday in August and ends at midnight the following Sunday. In 2026, that’s August 7 through August 9.1Missouri Department of Revenue. Back to School Sales Tax Holiday The sale has to be completed inside that window. If you and the retailer sit in different time zones, the time zone where you are located controls whether the purchase falls inside the exemption.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. RSMo 144.049 – Sales Tax Holiday for Clothing, Personal Computers, and School Supplies
What You Can Buy Tax-Free and the Price Caps
Section 144.049 of the Missouri Revised Statutes sets five exempt categories, each with its own per-item price limit. The cap applies to each individual item, not the receipt total, so a cart full of items that each sit under their category limit stays entirely tax-free.4Missouri Department of Revenue. Back to School Sales Tax Holiday – Information for Consumers
- Clothing at $100 or less per item. Any wearable garment counts, including shoes, shirts, pants, and even disposable diapers. Material used to make school uniforms is included. Items normally sold as a pair cannot be split apart to get under the cap.
- School supplies at $50 or less per purchase. Notebooks, paper, pens, crayons, art supplies, rulers, backpacks, book bags, handheld calculators, textbooks, chalk, maps, and globes.
- Graphing calculators at $150 or less. These have their own higher cap, separate from the general school-supply limit.
- Computer software at $350 or less.
- Personal computers and peripherals at $1,500 or less per item. Laptops, desktops, and tower systems, plus devices designed for use with a personal computer such as monitors, printers, scanners, mice, speakers, modems, and memory modules.
What Does Not Qualify
Clothing accessories are specifically carved out. Watches, jewelry, handbags, umbrellas, scarves, ties, headbands, and belt buckles remain fully taxable during the holiday.4Missouri Department of Revenue. Back to School Sales Tax Holiday – Information for Consumers
On the school-supply side, the exclusion list covers radios, CD players, headphones, sporting equipment, phones, copiers, other office equipment, furniture, and fixtures. Planning to use them at school does not change the result.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. RSMo 144.049 – Sales Tax Holiday for Clothing, Personal Computers, and School Supplies
Any item that goes over its category cap is fully taxable on the whole price. A $110 jacket is not tax-free on the first $100 with tax on the last $10. Tax applies to the full $110. One geographic exception also applies: sales that take place on the Missouri State Fairgrounds are excluded from the holiday entirely.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. RSMo 144.049 – Sales Tax Holiday for Clothing, Personal Computers, and School Supplies
Personal Use Only
The exemption covers items bought for personal use. A computer purchased for your business does not qualify, even if you buy it during the holiday and it sits under the $1,500 cap.2Missouri Department of Revenue. Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday FAQs The restriction runs across all five categories.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. RSMo 144.049 – Sales Tax Holiday for Clothing, Personal Computers, and School Supplies
Online Orders, Shipping, and Layaway
Online purchases qualify as long as the sale is completed inside the exemption window. One detail trips shoppers up: mandatory shipping and handling charges count toward the item’s taxable value for the price cap.2Missouri Department of Revenue. Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday FAQs A $95 shirt with $8 shipping has a taxable value of $103 and loses the exemption. If you order an eligible item during the holiday and it ships later because of a backorder, the sale still qualifies. The reverse does not work: an item delivered during the weekend but ordered before or after it does not get the exemption.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. RSMo 144.049 – Sales Tax Holiday for Clothing, Personal Computers, and School Supplies
Layaway follows the same logic. Make the final payment on a layaway item during the holiday and the purchase qualifies, even if you set it aside weeks earlier. Put something on layaway during the holiday but finish paying after the weekend ends, and you owe tax on the full price.2Missouri Department of Revenue. Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday FAQs The exemption turns on when the sale is finalized.
Mistakes That Cost Shoppers Money
The biggest one is ignoring the per-item cap. A $1,600 laptop gets no partial break. The second is forgetting that shipping charges can push an item near a threshold over it. If you’re buying clothing close to $100 or school supplies close to $50, add the delivery fee before you check out.
Backpacks catch people out too. They are classified as school supplies, not clothing, so the $50 cap applies, not the $100 clothing cap.4Missouri Department of Revenue. Back to School Sales Tax Holiday – Information for Consumers A $60 backpack is fully taxable. If you need a graphing calculator, use the separate $150 limit, which is more generous than the standard school-supply cap and covers most models on the market.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. RSMo 144.049 – Sales Tax Holiday for Clothing, Personal Computers, and School Supplies