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- Tennessee’s tax-free weekend runs from July 25-27, 2025.
- Clothing and school supplies under $100 per item are tax-exempt.
- Computers priced at $1,500 or less are also included in the tax-free holiday.
Tax-free weekend begins July 25 in Tennessee.
Tennessee is among only 20 states that offer some form of tax-free event to promote back-to-school spending before the start of the school year. While the event promotes the return to school, clothing for adults and children who have yet to enter school is also eligible for tax exemption.
Tennessee’s general state sales tax rate is 7%. Combined with local tax rates, residents will pay between 9% and 9.75% in sales taxes, making Tennessee the state with the second-highest average combined state and local sales tax rates, according to the Tax Foundation.
Here’s what to know about the upcoming tax-free weekend.
When is tax-free weekend in Tennessee?
Tax-free weekend in Tennessee begins on the last Friday in July at 12:01 a.m. and ends at 11:59 p.m. the following Sunday. In 2025, the holiday falls from July 25 to July 27.
What clothing items are included for tax-free weekend?
In Tennessee, general apparel costing $100 or less per item, such as shirts, pants, socks, shoes, and dresses, is exempt from tax. Apparel items priced at more than $100, jewelry, handbags, or sports and recreational equipment are all ineligible items. For a complete list of eligible items, visit the Tennessee Department of Revenue.
What school supplies are eligible for tax-free weekend?
In Tennessee, school and art supplies with a purchase price of $100 or less per item, such as binders, backpacks, crayons, paper, pens, pencils, and rulers, and art supplies such as glazes, clay, paints, drawing pads, and artist paintbrushes are all tax-exempt during the holiday weekend.
What computers are eligible for tax-free weekend?
In Tennessee, computers are eligible for tax exemption if they are valued at $1,500 or less. This includes laptop computers and tablet computers valued at $1,500 or less.
What is ineligible for tax-free weekend?
Many sports items are not eligible, including swim gear, baseball, and sports helmets. You cannot purchase graduation caps and gowns, either. Those, too, are not eligible.
Items not eligible for the tax-free weekend in Tennessee include:
- Belt buckles sold separately
- Patches and emblems sold separately
- Sewing equipment and supplies
- Clothing accessories
- Protective equipment
- Sport or recreational equipment
For a computer to be eligible for tax-free weekend, specific requirements must be met. A computer must be purchased as a complete processing unit, already equipped with all necessary components, such as a monitor, keyboard, mouse, cables, and preloaded software, to be eligible for tax exemption.
Non-eligible computer items for tax-free weekend include:
- Monitors, keyboards, speakers, and scanners sold separately from computers
- Individually purchased software or other software not part of a preloaded software package at the initial purchase of a computer.
- Storage media, such as diskettes and compact disks
- Handheld electronic schedulers
- Personal digital assistants
- Video game consoles
- Computer printers
- Printer supplies, such as paper and ink
Which states have tax-free weekend events?
Tennessee is one of 20 states that offer a tax-free event of some sort for its residents. Other states that host events are:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New Mexico
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Jordan Green covers trending news for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at [email protected].