Money-saving weekend: Virginia’s sales tax holiday kicks off Aug. 2

Are you ready to save on school supplies, emergency preparedness products, and more? Virginia’s annual sales tax holiday returns Aug. 2-4.

Whether you’re buying supplies for the first day of school or planning to stock up for the year, this weekend offers an opportunity for Virginians to spend less on select purchases. The deals begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 2, and end on Sunday, Aug. 4, at 11:59 p.m.

The deals include:

• School supplies, clothing, and footwear
  • Qualified school supplies—$20 or less per item
  • Qualified clothing and footwear—$100 or less per item
• Hurricane and emergency preparedness products
  • Portable generators—$1,000 or less per item
  • Gas-powered chainsaws—$350 or less per item
  • Chainsaw accessories—$60 or less per item
  • Other specified hurricane preparedness items—$60 or less per item
• Energy Star™ and WaterSense™ products
  • Qualifying Energy Star™ or WaterSense™ products purchased for noncommercial home or personal use—$2,500 or less per item

This weekend marks the return of the sales tax holiday in August. In 2023, an oversight on the sunset date of the tax free program was overshadowed by other Virginia General Assembly matters; a temporary fix allowed for a weekend of sales tax relief for certain school and other items in Oct. 2023.

Earlier this year, the General Assembly passed new legislation to protect the annual sales tax holiday both now and in the future. Legislation by Democratic Sen. Louise Lucas will extend the money-saving weekend through June 2030.

Whether you’re shopping in-store, online, by mail, or by telephone, the tax relief offer is available. 

For additional details about qualifying tax-free purchases this weekend, be sure to check out the Sales Tax Holiday Guidelines.