Arkansas gives you one 48-hour tax-free weekend at the start of August, and it's one of the most generous in the country — clothing under $100, plus school supplies and even laptops and phones with no price limit at all.
August 1–2, 2026
Saturday, August 1 through Sunday, August 2
2027 dates aren't posted yet — state law puts the holiday on the first weekend of August every year, and Finance and Administration publishes the retailer instructions each summer.
Do online orders count?
Yes — an online order counts if you order and pay during the weekend and the seller takes it for immediate shipment, even if the box turns up later. If everything in the shipment qualifies, the delivery charge is tax-free too.
| Item | Price cap | Tax status |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing & footwear has to be under $100 — a $100 jacket misses it | $100 | Exempt |
| Clothing accessories (jewelry, handbags, wallets, watches, cosmetics, non-prescription sunglasses) a lower limit than clothing, and it's under $50, not $50 even | $50 | Exempt |
| School supplies (pencils, notebooks, binders, book bags, lunch boxes) no price limit, but only items on the state's list count | No cap | Exempt |
| School art supplies (paints, brushes, clay, sketch pads, watercolors) | No cap | Exempt |
| Textbooks, workbooks, reference books, maps & globes | No cap | Exempt |
| Laptops, tablets, e-readers, printers & calculators no price limit on electronics a student uses for schoolwork | No cap | Exempt |
| Cell phones Arkansas is unusual here — phones are on the qualifying electronics list | No cap | Exempt |
| Helmets, cleats, shin guards, waders & other sport gear | — | Not exempt |
| Sewing supplies (thread, fabric, zippers, patterns, scissors) school scissors are fine; sewing scissors aren't | — | Not exempt |
Source: Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Sales Tax Holiday Instructions for Retailers (2026) — the place to check any edge case.
Yes. Order and pay during the 48 hours and the exemption holds even if delivery comes later, as long as the seller takes the order for immediate shipment. When every item in the shipment qualifies, the shipping charge is tax-free as well.
Yes — that's what makes Arkansas stand out. Electronics a student uses for a course of study, including laptops, desktops, tablets, e-readers, printers, monitors, keyboards and cell phones, have no price cap during the holiday. Only clothing and accessories carry dollar limits.
Under $100 per item for clothing and shoes, and under $50 per item for accessories like jewelry, handbags, wallets and watches. It's per item, not per receipt — two shirts at $50 and jeans at $75 all come off tax-free even though the total is $175.
Yes. The holiday suspends both state and local sales tax on qualifying items, so the county and city rate come off along with the state's 6.5%.
Anything not on the state's lists stays taxed. The usual surprises are sports and protective gear (cleats, helmets, shin guards, waders), sewing supplies, and any single clothing item priced at $100 or more — that one is taxed on its full price, not just the amount over the line.
Checked against Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Sales Tax Holiday Instructions for Retailers (2026) on 2026-08-14. See the national calendar for every state's holidays.