Ohio’s sales tax holiday end date in 2026 is Sunday, August 9, at 11:59 p.m. The holiday opens at 12:00 a.m. on Friday, August 7, giving you a three-day window to buy qualifying clothing, school supplies, and instructional materials with no state or local sales tax added.1Ohio Department of Taxation. Ohio Sales Tax Holiday 2026 By state law, the holiday always falls on the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in August.2Ohio.gov. Annual Sales Tax Holiday
What Qualifies Before the Deadline
Each category has its own per-item price cap. The cap is all-or-nothing: if an item is priced even a dollar over the limit, the whole price is taxable, not just the amount above the threshold.2Ohio.gov. Annual Sales Tax Holiday
- Clothing: $75 or less per item
- School supplies: $20 or less per item
- School instructional materials: $20 or less per item
The caps apply per item, not per transaction. A cart full of qualifying items pays no sales tax as long as each individual item stays under its category limit.2Ohio.gov. Annual Sales Tax Holiday
Clothing covers wearing apparel for general everyday use, including shirts, pants, jackets, dresses, socks, underwear, and shoes. It does not cover accessories like jewelry, watches, handbags, or sunglasses; protective or safety gear; cleated or specialized athletic footwear and sports equipment; or sewing supplies and fabric, regardless of price. Anything bought for use in a trade or business is also excluded.1Ohio Department of Taxation. Ohio Sales Tax Holiday 2026
School supplies work from a specific closed list: binders, folders, notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, crayons, highlighters, calculators, rulers, paper, glue, tape, scissors, book bags, lunch boxes, and similar classroom items.1Ohio Department of Taxation. Ohio Sales Tax Holiday 2026 If an item isn’t on that list, it doesn’t qualify even if students use it. Laptops and tablets, for instance, are not school supplies for holiday purposes.
The 2024 Expansion Does Not Apply This Year
If you shopped the 2024 holiday, keep in mind that was a different event. The legislature expanded it that year to ten days and covered almost all personal-use items priced at $500 or less. That version is gone. The 2026 holiday returns to the standard three-day format with the narrower list of qualifying items and the lower price caps above.1Ohio Department of Taxation. Ohio Sales Tax Holiday 2026 A large purchase like a television, laptop, or piece of furniture will be charged full sales tax during the holiday weekend.
What Stays Taxable
Some categories are excluded regardless of when you buy them:
- Motor vehicles, watercraft, and outboard motors
- Items bought for use in a trade or business
- Services such as repairs, alterations, and installations
- Alcohol, tobacco, and vapor products
Online Orders and the Deadline
Online, phone, and mail purchases qualify. What matters is when you complete the order and payment, not when the item ships or arrives. An order placed and paid for before 11:59 p.m. on August 9 counts as made during the holiday, even if it doesn’t show up at your door until the following week.
If You Get Charged Tax on a Qualifying Item
Register errors happen, especially on borderline items. Ask the retailer to correct the transaction first; most will fix it on the spot. If the store won’t adjust it, you can apply directly to the Ohio Department of Taxation for a refund through the OH|TAX eServices portal using your receipt.3Ohio Department of Taxation. Apply for a Sales or Use Tax Refund Hold on to your holiday-weekend receipts until you’ve confirmed the tax came off everything that qualified.