Table of Contents
by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury
August 4, 2026
Virginia’s sales tax holiday begins on Friday and runs through Sunday, offering deals on qualifying school supplies, clothing and footwear sales tax. Certain emergency preparedness items also qualify.
The sales tax holiday starts Aug. 7 at 12:01 a.m. and ends Aug. 9 at 11:59 p.m., and could save consumers 5.3% to 7% on total costs. The Virginia Department of Taxation provides lists of items that qualify as sales tax-free during the holiday.
What items are eligible?
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
Consumers nationwide spend an average of $293 on electronics, $250 on clothing and accessories, $174 on shoes and $146 on school supplies to prepare for their children to head back to class, according to a recent study by the National Retail Federation.
Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
