The second busiest shopping weekend of the year is here: Massachusetts Sales Tax Free Weekend! The annual fete omits sales tax from qualifying purchases up to $2,500. Massachusetts will hold a sales tax holiday on Saturday, August 10 and Sunday, August 11, 2024. Learn more below!
The history of tax-free weekend
Tax free weekend began in Texas in 1999 when it was signed into law. Massachusetts followed suite decades later, making tax free weekend an official August event in 2018. The purpose of tax-free weekend is to promote consumerism, especially for essentials such as back to school items, while offer some tax relief in the process.
What to know for Massachusetts sales tax free weekend?
It’s one of the best weekends for big-box purchases under $2,500. Any item with a price tag over $2,500 will be taxed for the full price, not just the price difference. It’s better to save those purchases for Black Friday when there might be a promo running.
It is also a time to disregard purchasing taxless items such as clothing. It’s a great opportunity to stock up on school supplies, a new laptop, phone, or that fancy treadmill you’ve been watching.
Does the tax-free deal apply to online purchases?
The deal also applies to online purchases as long as your billing address is in Massachusetts. Just make sure that your purchase is made on August 10 or 11 according to Eastern time, a minute after and you’re out of luck!
Disqualified items from tax free weekend
It’s important to note that some items are ineligible from Massachusetts sales tax relief during tax free weekend. These include:
- Meals
- Motor vehicles
- Motorboats
- Tobacco
- Marijuana
- Alcohol
- Any single item priced over $2,500
For more information on rules and regulations of tax-free weekend here in Mass, visit mass.gov.