Skip the Sales Tax

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Guide to Scoring the Best Deals in 2018

Summertime brings sales galore, and if you time your back-to-school purchases right, you may be able to grab them sales-tax-free. Fifteen states have back-to-school sales tax holidays in late July through August this year, with items ranging from computers to backpacks to clothing exempt from state sales tax. Exemptions vary by state, but generally, items of clothing that cost less than $100 qualify. Among states that offer an exemption on computers, the upper limit ranges from $750 to $1,500.

Diane Yetter, founder of the Sales Tax Institute, suggests paying attention to retailers’ ads because some retailers will have bigger andbetter sales leading up to or right after the tax holiday.

We've compiled a state-by-state look at sales tax breaks. See if your state offers savings.

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Rivan joined Kiplinger on Leap Day 2016 as a reporter for Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. A Michigan native, she graduated from the University of Michigan in 2014 and from there freelanced as a local copy editor and proofreader, and served as a research assistant to a local Detroit journalist. Her work has been featured in the Ann Arbor Observer and Sage Business Researcher. She is currently assistant editor, personal finance at The Washington Post.