Ohio’s sales tax holiday is this weekend, and it’s not just for those heading back to school

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - In 2019, Ohio lawmakers made the first weekend in August a permanent sales tax-free holiday.

The goal is to give parents a break when it comes to buying back-to-school supplies and clothes.

While there are some restrictions on what applies — and the cost — it doesn’t matter if you’re back-to-school shopping, or shopping for yourself.

During the holiday, the following items are exempt from sales and use tax:

• An item of clothing priced at $75 or less
• An item of school supplies priced at $20 or less
• An item of school instructional material priced at $20 or less

Where you buy this weekend will also dictate how much you save.

The base sales tax in Ohio is 5.75%, but then counties also tack on a percent that varies.

For example, Cuyahoga County adds an additional 2.25%, for a total of 8% in sales tax.

But in Lorain County, the total sales tax is just 6.5%.

Meaning, if you bought a $50 pair of shoes this weekend in Cuyahoga County, you won’t pay what would have been $4 in sale tax.

In Lorain County, the sales tax would have been $3.25.

Here is a map showing what the sales tax is in every Ohio county.

The Ohio Department of Taxation spells out what clothing falls into the tax-free category:

“Clothing” includes, but is not limited to, shirts; blouses; sweaters; pants; shorts; skirts; dresses; uniforms (athletic and nonathletic); shoes and shoe laces; insoles for shoes; sneakers; sandals; boots; overshoes; slippers; steel-toed shoes; underwear; socks and stockings; hosiery; pantyhose; footlets; coats and jackets; rainwear; gloves and mittens for general use; hats and caps; ear muffs; belts and suspenders; neckties; scarves; aprons (household and shop); lab coats; athletic supporters; bathing suits and caps; beach capes and coats; costumes; baby receiving blankets; diapers, children and adult, including disposable diapers; rubber pants; garters and garter belts; girdles; formal wear; and wedding apparel.

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