Tennessee's annual tax-free weekend is here, and with the rising cost of living, there are some tips to help you save.
Tennessee is among the states with the highest average combined state and local sales tax rates. Nationwide, the population-weighted average combined sales tax rate is 7.53%, according to theTax Foundation. Tennessee's combined rate is 9.61%, the second highest in the country, behind only Louisiana at 10.11%.
Introduced in 2006, Tennessee has continued the tradition of giving residents a break during the back-to-school season by exempting certain items from sales tax for one weekend each year.
Groceries are not eligible for the tax-free weekend, and Tennessee will not have a grocery tax holiday in 2026.
Here is what you need to
know to make the most of Tennessee's tax-free weekend in 2026.
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 2026, the holiday falls from July 31 to Aug 2.
How can families save money during Tennessee's tax-free weekend?
Hallie Hall, a member service representative at Redstone Federal Credit Union, recommends that families take time to review what they need before going into stores this weekend.
"Every store's prices are going to be different, and there's so much to take into account," Hall said. "It can be overwhelming to go in without a game plan."
Hall advised shoppers to review a store's inventory online before shopping in person to see how prices compare. Instead of buying every item on a child's back-to-school list, parents should review what supplies they already have and buy fewer.
"Kids often go for their favorite character, which will cost more than the regular supplies," Hall said. "Shopping without a plan can often lead to impulse purchases that add to the total."
Tennessee's tax-free weekend has been held for almost two decades, and during the weekend, residents can save 9.75% on eligible items.
What clothing items are eligible for tax-free weekend?
Stores that sell eligible items such as clothing, school supplies and computers participate in the sales tax holiday. If a store or merchant sells only to other businesses or does not sell qualifying items, then the merchant is not required to participate.
Eligible clothing for the tax-free weekend includes:
- Shirts
- Dresses
- Pants
- Coats
- Gloves
- Mittens
- Hats and caps
- Hosiery
- Neckties
- Belts
- Sneakers
- Shoes
- Uniforms, whether athletic or non-athletic
- Scarves
What school supplies are eligible for tax-free weekend?
Essentially, all school supplies are eligible for tax-free weekend. Tennessee has a few restrictions on what can be purchased during the tax-free weekend. Computers purchased during tax-free weekend must be under $1,500 to apply for the tax break.
Eligible school supplies for the tax-free weekend include:
- Binders
- Book bags
- Calculators
- Tape
- Chalk
- Crayons
- Erasers
- Folders
- Glue
- Pens
- Pencils
- Lunch boxes
- Notebooks
- Paper
- Rulers
- Scissors
- Art supplies including clay, glazes, acrylic, tempera and oil paints, paintbrushes for artwork, sketch and drawing pads, and watercolors.
Non-eligible school supplies for the tax-free weekend include:
- School instructional materials
- School computer supplies
What is ineligible for tax-free weekend?
Many sports items are not eligible, including swim gear, baseball gear and sports helmets. You cannot purchase graduation caps and gowns, either. Those, too, are not eligible.
Items not eligible for 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 the tax-free weekend, certain 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 on the initial purchase of a computer
- Storage media, such as diskettes and compact disks
- Handheld electronic schedulers
- Personal digital assistants
- E-readers
- Video game consoles
- Computer printers
- Printer supplies, such as paper and ink
Jordan Green covers trending news for The Commercial Appeal and Tennessee. She can be reached at jordan.green@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Tips to help Tennessee shoppers save ahead of 2026's tax-free weekend
