Tax-free weekend begins this Friday! In the past it was two weeks and included furniture and food as tax free items, but this year the rules have changed. See what is different, and what you can and cannot buy free from sales tax this weekend.
When is Ohio’s tax-free holiday in 2026?
You can make tax-free purchases on certain items starting Friday Aug. 7 at midnight through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Aug 9.
What can I buy during Ohio’s tax-free holiday?
During this year’s holiday you can purchase clothing items valued $75 or less, school supplies that are $20 or less, and school instructional materials that are $20 or less.
Items include:
- Clothing: Coats, shoes, uniforms, diapers, bathing suits and even wedding apparel
- School and office supplies: Paper, pens, markers, calculators, binders, book bags
- Books: Novels, textbooks and workbooks
What items are NOT included in the sales-tax holiday?
- Clothing that costs $75.01 or more
- School supplies that cost $20.01 or more
- School instructional materials that cost $20.01 or more
- Food in restaurants
- Cars, trucks, scooters
- Alcohol, tobacco products, vapor products
- Items containing marijuana
- Watercraft or outboard motors
- Grocery items
- Household items, furniture
How much money can I save?
The state of Ohio’s sales tax is 5.75%. With additional local sales taxes, purchases made in Cuyahoga County typically include a total 8% sales tax. If you buy $75 worth of clothes before tax-free weekend your total may come up to $81. During tax-free weekend you will save $6 worth of sales taxes.
Here’s the sales tax in nearby counties:
Lake County: 7.25%
Summit County: 6.75%
Lorain County: 6.5%
Portage County: 7.0%
Will I be charged sales tax if I buy an item online?
No, you will not be charged a sales tax as long as you finish the purchase during the tax-free window. Shipping and handling should also be tax free. The delivery date does not matter. Pay attention to seller information. If purchasing from a seller in a different time zone, it is the seller’s time zone that determines the date and time—which dictates whether or not the sale-tax-free time applies.
What happens if I need to make an exchange?
If you buy an item during sale tax weekend and exchange it for the same item afterwards, the retailer should not charge sale tax. If you return an item and buy a different item after the holiday has ended you will be charged sales tax.
All retailers are required to participate in the tax-free holiday. If you are charged sales tax, ask for a refund. If the store refuses you can apply for a sales tax refund using this form. Retailers will still accept coupons and loyalty cards throughout the weekend.
Also, items placed on layaway or picked up from layaway during the holiday period are exempt from sales tax.