Tennessee tax free weekend 2022

TENNESSEE — Tennessee’s traditional sales tax holiday on clothing, school supplies, and computers will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 29, 2022, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 31, 2022.

With inflation squeezing all our budgets, tax-free weekends can be a smart time to shop and save.

No paperwork or coupons are required. The state sales tax will just be waived at checkout for all valid purchases.

All clothing, school, and art supplies under $100 per item are exempt from tax.

Those supplies include almost everything a student might need in the classroom, including backpacks, binders, books, crayons, pens, pencils, rulers, paints, glue, and paintbrushes.

Shoppers will get a break on some big-ticket items like computers and tablets, not paying tax on any computer, laptop, or tablet that costs $1,500 or less.

Tennessee has a 7 percent state sales tax rate. That amounts to $70 off a $1,000 laptop.

Even if your little ones aren’t ready for school, you can still save money. Diapers and baby clothes are included in the tax-free weekend.

You can also use the tax-free weekend to get basics for the whole family: socks, underwear, running shoes, pajamas, workout clothes, bras — things you need but might not think about restocking.

Can I shop online?

If you don’t like crowds and the fuss of in-store shopping, you can still save. Tax-free weekend 2022 will allow you to shop online for qualifying items if the following apply:

You complete your purchase (including payment) during your state’s tax-free weekend.
The retailer you shop online with is actively doing business in your state during tax-free weekend.
Items you purchase qualify and meet the terms for tax-free status.
You live in the participating state. This is usually determined by your shipping/billing address.

What will I still have to pay taxes on in Tennessee?

Any school supply item or piece of clothing that costs over $100 will still include taxes. Clothing apparel that comes in pairs, such as shoes, can not be split up to stay beneath the $100 limit.

Also, shoppers will still have to pay taxes on items such as jewelry, handbags, or sports and recreational equipment.

Likewise, school supplies that are normally sold together cannot be split up to get under that $100 maximum.

Any storage media such as flash drives and compact discs, individually purchased software, printers, printer supplies, and household appliances will also still include tax.

Some things you might expect to be tax-free are not part of the sales tax holiday:

There are a number of things you might be surprised to find out are not tax-free during the holiday, including some clothing items like belts and belt buckles.

Protective equipment like respirators, masks, goggles, and helmets are not exempt. Items for human wear and designed as protection of the wearer against injury or disease or as protections against damage or injury of other persons or property but not suitable for general use will be taxed.

Basic computer software purchased with a bundled system is exempt. However, individually purchased software and upgraded software purchased with a bundled system are taxable. Computer storage media (diskettes, compact disks), handheld electronic schedulers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), computer printers, and printer supplies (printer paper, printer ink) are not included in the sales tax holiday.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Tennessee’s sales tax holiday.

Tennessee’s grocery sales tax holiday

There is another sales tax holiday in Tennessee this year. Immediately following the traditional sales tax holiday, a grocery sales tax suspension will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, August 1, and ends at 11:50 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31.

During this time, food and food ingredients may be purchased tax-free.

“Food and food ingredients” are defined as liquid, concentrated, solid, frozen, dried, or dehydrated substances sold to be ingested or chewed by humans and consumed for their taste or nutritional value. Food ingredients do not include alcoholic beverages, tobacco, candy, dietary supplements, and prepared food.

Food and food ingredients purchased from a micro-market or vending machine remain subject to sales tax.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Tennessee’s grocery sales tax holiday.