Tax free weekend is almost here in Massachusetts. How to shop

SHOPPING
Tax free weekend is almost here in Massachusetts. How to shop
Catherine MessierUSA TODAY NETWORK – New England
Updated Aug. 5, 2026, 9:23 a.m. ET

Ready for some summer shopping? It’s almost time for every shopper’s favorite holiday in Massachusetts – tax free weekend

Held this year on Saturday, Aug. 8 and Sunday, Aug. 9, the annual weekend tax holiday exempts most personal purchases made in Massachusetts from the state sales tax of 6.25%. The tax exemption applies to most retail items under $2,500, but with some restrictions

Wondering how to shop tax-free in Massachusetts this August? Here’s what you need to know to make the most of the 2026 Sales Tax Holiday in Massachusetts

How to participate in Massachusetts’s tax free weekend

Shop! All open Massachusetts businesses that make taxable sales are required to take part in the sales tax holiday on Aug. 8 and 9. If any retailer does charge sales tax, the individual business is responsible to give a refund

Does Massachusetts tax free weekend apply to online purchases?

Can’t make it to the stores in person? You can also benefit from the tax free weekend online. No sales tax will be due on purchases of eligible items made on the internet during the hours of the holiday in the Eastern Standard Time Zone, even if delivery of those items occurs once the holiday has passed

Shop tax-free school supplies

What is included in tax free weekend in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts’s tax free weekend includes personal purchases of most retail items of up to $2,500, but there are some exceptions

What items are excluded from Massachusetts tax free weekend?

The most important thing to remember is that the sales tax exemption only applies to personal purchases. That means items purchased by or for a business are still taxable

However, there are some exemptions within personal purchases. According to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue website, the following retail items are excluded from the sales tax holiday:

• Meals
• Motor vehicles
• Motorboats
• Telecommunications services
• Gas
• Steam
• Electricity
• Tobacco products
• Marijuana and related products
• Alcoholic beverages
• Any single item over $2,500
• Any single clothing item over $175

For items that exceed $2,500, the entire amount of the purchase after the first $175 will be taxable. For clothing items over $175, only the exceeding amount is subject to tax

Massachusetts tax free weekend guidelines

Here are some other rules to know about Massachusetts’s tax free weekend

• Layaway sales do not qualify for the sales tax holiday.
• Rentals of up to 30 days qualify if the rental is paid in full during the holiday, barring motor vehicles or motorboats.
• Canceling a prior purchase and re-booking the purchase during the holiday is not allowed if there was a deposit, pre-payment or promise to pay.
• Items bought throughout the tax free weekend can be arranged for delivery after the holiday ends.
• If you exchange or return an item after the sales tax holiday, you will not be subject to the sales tax on the date of the exchange.

Where to do tax-free back-to-school shopping

Sixteen states offer tax-free back-to-school shopping for at least a weekend per year heading into the new school year, including Massachusetts and Connecticut. It’s a temporary shopping event that gives you a break from paying state sales taxes on items like school supplies and clothing. Here are some popular back-to-school shopping options:

Top stores for all-around back-to-school shopping

• Walmart – Shop by grade or find your school’s supply list now
• Target – Shop school supply basics, teacher wish lists and more.
• Amazon – Amazon’s back to school shop is live, shop by category now!

Top stores for back-to-school supplies

• Staples – Folders start at $0.25, notebooks at $0.35 and crayons at $0.50 during Staples’ back-to-school sale.
• Office Depot or Office Max – Find hundreds of school supplies under $3 at Office Depot/OfficeMax.
• Walmart – School supplies starting as low as $0.25

Shop back-to-school supplies

Top stores for back-to-school tech

• Best Buy – Shop back-to-school deals on headphones, laptops and more.
• Amazon – Get up to 40% off on electronics ahead of the school year.
• Walmart – Find deals on back-to-school tech from headphones to laptops

Top stores for back-to-school clothes

• Old Navy – Tees start at $5, active wear at $8 and jeans at $12 at the Old Navy back-to-school sale.
• Carter’s – Shop styles for kids starting at just $5 for their back-to-school fits.
• Target – Find Cat & Jack staples, uniform essentials and more at Target.
• H&M – Get up to 70% off select styles for kids and adults at H&M.

Trisha Easto contributed to this report

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