Ohio Tax Free Weekend – Now Two Weeks (August 1 – 14, 2025)

August 1, 2025 | By Ryan Lucas
Ohio Tax Free Weekend (which is actually 2 weeks, August 1-14, 2025) is here! Enjoy tax free buying for items under $500. Image of a pig draped in the Ohio flag.

If you are of a certain age, you likely have fond memories (or at least memories) of back-to-school shopping. Searching for that perfect Trapper Keeper three ring binder on a sweltering August evening, the aisles packed. That’s because your parents probably waited until one special weekend to check off all or most of your list of school supplies. For many years Ohio families benefitted from a weekend where education and school-adjacent supplies were exempted from sales tax. Given that families would spend a lot all at once this could mean significant savings that had an impact from August to the following June. But very recently, the Ohio tax free weekend has exploded into a two-week extravaganza for all shoppers.

 

How Does the Ohio Tax Free Weekend (2 Weeks) Work?

From 12:00 a.m. on August 1 until 11:59 p.m. on August 14 the Ohio tax free ‘weekend’ is active. As long as your individual item is under $500, it’s going to be tax-exempt! That’s right, the exemption limit is set by item, and not by your total purchase! Whether you are shopping in person like the good ol’ 90’s kids, or enjoying commerce on the information superhighway, your eligible purchases should be tax exempt.

Online shoppers: You may want to keep an eye on your receipts, as some digital retailers may not be set up to make this temporary tax exemption. While it’s best to contact the retailer directly, you can always reach out to the Ohio Department of Taxation if you think there’s an error.

 

Wait, What Are the Eligible Items?

It’s more than just pens, pencils, and rulers with a cool hologram on them! The Department of Taxation describes tax-exempt eligible items as “most tangible personal property priced at $500.” They specifically call out the following as being NOT included in the tax exemption:

  • Boats, Jet Skis, and other watercraft and outboard motors
  • Cars and other motor vehicles
  • Alcohol, tobacco, and vape products
  • Items containing THC/marijuana

 

So while that would NOT include services (alas, no tax exemption for oil changes or Netflix,) specific items (food purchased for dine in, the parts on a car repair) do qualify.

 

I Have Some Really Specific Questions About What Qualifies

Of course, edge cases always come up! The Department of Taxation has a handy FAQ for detailed Ohio tax free weekend questions. If you need to get in the weeds with some specifics, that’s the best place to look! And if you are literally in the weeds, you’re in luck, weed whackers are tax exempt!

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