Massachusetts sets tax-free weekend date for August
Mark your calendars: We now know when tax-free weekend is coming to Massachusetts this summer.
The Legislature announced Thursday that the sales tax holiday will be held on Saturday, Aug. 8 and Sunday, Aug. 9.
On those days, the 6.25% sales tax in Massachusetts will be waived for most retail items, though there are some key exceptions.
A law passed in 2018 mandates a sales tax holiday weekend in the state every August, which is typically a slower time for retailers. Advocates say it helps small businesses, while critics say it only changes the timing of big-ticket purchases that customers were going to make anyway.
The state said the 2025 sales tax holiday generated $3.65 million in indirect tax revenues "due to increased economic activity."
What can you buy under the sales tax exemption in Massachusetts?
Most retail items that cost under $2,500 at stores will be tax-free that weekend. Purchases made online for eligible items during the sales tax holiday also qualify for the exemption.
If you're buying several items at one time and go over $2,500, they are all still eligible for the sales tax exemption.
What doesn't qualify for sales tax weekend in Massachusetts
Here's the list of things that cannot be bought tax-free that weekend, according to Mass.gov.
- Meals
- Motor vehicles
- Motorboats
- Telecommunications services
- Gas
- Steam
- Electricity
- Tobacco products
- Marijuana or marijuana products
- Alcoholic beverages, and
- Any single item whose price is more than $2,500.
Items bought by corporations, or items bought by people for business use also remain taxable.
