Getting ready for the school year? Ohio shoppers can buy certain back-to-school items tax-free during the state's August sales tax holiday.
Unlike last year's two-week sales tax holiday, which covered most items priced at $500 or less, this year's event applies only to clothing priced at $75 or less, school supplies priced at $20 or less and school instructional materials priced at $20 or less. The expanded tax-free weekend of 2025 that included restaurant meals and many other purchases has been narrowed to back-to-school items this year.
Here's what to know.
When is Ohio's tax-free weekend in 2026?
Ohio's three-day back-to-school sales tax holiday begins at 12 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 7, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9, according to Ohio's Department of Taxation.
What's covered?
The tax exemption
covers three categories of back-to-school purchases:
- Clothing: Items priced at $75 or less each
- School supplies: Items priced at $20 or less each
- School instructional materials: Items priced at $20 or less each
Eligible clothing includes items such as shirts, pants, shoes, coats, uniforms and diapers. School supplies include notebooks, backpacks, pencils, pens, calculators and folders. Instructional materials include textbooks, workbooks, reference books, maps and globes.
What purchases are still taxable?
These purchases remain taxable during the holiday:
- Clothing costing more than $75
- School supplies or instructional materials costing more than $20
- Items purchased for business use
- Restaurant food
- Motor vehicles, boats and titled outboard motors
- Alcohol, tobacco, vape and marijuana products
- Other taxable goods and services not specifically listed as eligible
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Do online purchases qualify?
According to the state, eligible items purchased by mail, phone, email or online are tax-free if they are ordered and paid for during the sales tax holiday, even if they are delivered later.
Orders placed or paid for before the holiday do not qualify, even if delivery occurs during the tax-free weekend.Backordered items are taxable if payment is not made until after the holiday ends.
What if I'm charged sales tax by mistake?
Retailers should refund sales tax mistakenly charged on exempt items purchased during the holiday. If a retailer won't issue a refund, shoppers can apply for one through the state using Form STAR.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio's tax-free holiday is this weekend, but 2026 has key differences
