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In July and August, 17 states will have sales-tax holidays, when certain purchases made for school will be exempt from taxes. Among states having the sales-tax holiday is Tennessee, and it is coming up this weekend — Friday through Sunday.

This year, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators, several states are offering tax-free periods for school-related purchases.

These holidays provide a welcome relief for parents looking to stretch their dollars further on clothing, shoes, electronics and school supplies. ABC News this past week reported that school supplies cost nearly 25 percent more than they did just four years ago.

It seems a little early to be thinking about the end of summer and the start of the 2025-26 academic year. But for families who plan summer spending as carefully as possible in anticipation of next year’s expenses, the sales tax-free weekend is good news. Tennessee’s sales tax holiday, historically, has been meant to help families buy clothing and school supplies for the upcoming year.

Those of you hoping the exemption will apply to services, watercraft, outboard motors, motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages, vapor products or cosmetics are out of luck, however.

While the policy is meant to aid lower-income families looking to get the most out of their back-to-school budgets, the truth is everyone can take advantage of the savings — for example, on computers and clothing.

The sales tax holiday is a money-saving holiday for Tennesseans, where the state sales tax rate is 7 percent. This important sales tax holiday will help ease the financial burden on parents as students head back to school in August. Qualified purchases include clothing and shoes valued at $100 or less, school and art supplies costing less than $100 per item, and computers and tablets priced under $1,500. Other eligible items include shirts, shoes, pens, backpacks and binders, among others, and can be purchased tax-free online and in person.

Also, during this weekend, teachers and childcare professionals can also buy classroom supplies.

However, before you hit the stores, you should ensure that the tax-free discount doesn’t lead you to buy more than you can actually afford. Write out what you truly need to buy beforehand. Remember, you’re not saving more if you end up spending more than you would have otherwise.

This sales tax holiday for school supplies may not make kids look forward to returning to school more, but it certainly will make parents happier when shopping for the supplies they need to get their children ready for the new school year.

The sales tax holiday helps make the back-to-school experience more affordable for Tennessee families and educators at a time when they need the savings. It will help hardworking parents and teachers across our state stretch their dollars a little further while restocking backpacks and classrooms.

So, take advantage of the weekend … and the tax-free items for back to school.