Georgia's sales tax holiday has usually applied to certain clothing, school supplies, books and computers. However, in 2010, three bills stalled during the legislative session so there was no sales tax holiday.
Neighboring states Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee are offering sales tax holidays with their own guidelines and eligible items for back-to-school savings.
Georgia Sales Tax Holiday Dates
Although a lawmaker attempted to revive the sales tax holiday for 2011, the state did not want to give up the estimated $20 million in taxes a sales tax holiday would have prevented. This is the second year in a row Georgia has not had a sales tax holiday.Clothing Exempt from Georgia Sales Tax
Each article of clothing and footwear $100 or less is exempt from sales tax. Items eligible are:- Baby Clothes
- Bandannas
- Bathing Suits
- Belts and Belt Buckles
- Blouses
- Boots
- Caps and Hats
- Cleated and Spiked Footwear
- Coats
- Coveralls
- Diapers (cloth and disposable, adult and baby)
- Dresses
- Formal Clothing
- Gloves and Mittens
- Graduation Caps and Gowns (not rented)
- Helmets
- Hosiery and Tights
- Jackets
- Jeans
- Jogging Suits
- Jumpers
- Leg Warmers
- Leotards and Tights
- Overshoes and Rubber Shoes
- Pants
- Raincoats and Ponchos
- Shawls and Wraps
- Shirts
- Shoes and Laces
- Shorts
- Skirts
- Socks
- Sleepwear
- Suits
- Sweaters
- T-Shirts
- Ties
- Undergarments
- Uniforms
School Supplies Exempt from Georgia Sales Tax
School supply limits are $20 per item on:- Appointment Books
- Backpacks
- Book Bags
- Book Covers
- Book Markers
- Calculators
- CD/DVD/Floppy Disks (blank)
- Chalk and Erasers
- Clipboards
- Compass
- Composition Books
- Computer Supplies
- Construction Paper
- Crayon Box
- Crayons
- Daily Planners
- Dictionaries
- Dividers
- Duffel Bags
- Easel Pads
- Erasers
- File Jackets
- Flash Cards
- Folders
- Glue
- Graph Paper
- Highlighters
- Index Cards
- Ink
- Ink Cartridges
- Labels
- Loose-leaf Binders
- Lunch Boxes
- Markers
- Memo Books
- Notebooks
- Organizers
- Paper (notebook, printer or pads)
- Paper Clips
- Paste
- Pencil Box
- Pencil Erasers
- Pencil Sharpener
- Pencils and Pens
- Portfolios
- Poster Board
- Protractors
- Rubber Bands
- Rulers
- Scissors
- Sheet Protectors
- Staplers
- Sticky Notes
- Tape
- Thesauruses
- Whiteout
Books Exempt from Sales Tax
Books must be $20 or less and be intended for children. Titles that qualify are:- Books for children from infancy through 12th grade written for learning purposes
- Most books found in the children's section of the bookstore
- Books on a school's official reading list
- Books on a school's summer reading program
Computers Exempt from Sales Tax
Personal computers and accessories $1,500 and under are exempt, including:- Batteries (computer only)
- Car Adapter for Laptop
- CD/DVD/Floppy Disks (blank)
- Computer Cables
- Disk Drives
- Computer Supplies
- CPUs
- Database Software
- Docking Station
- Hard Drive
- Keyboard
- Memory
- Microphone
- Modems
- Monitors
- Motherboard
- Mouse
- Personal Digital Assistant Devices (not part of a cell phone)
- Port Replicators
- Printer Cartridges
- Printers (including "all-in-one" models)
- Router
- Scanners
- Screen Projectors (monitor type)
- Software (non-recreational)
- Speakers (computer)
- Storage Devices
- USB Memory Devices (computer only)
- Web Camera
- Zip Drives
Taxable Items
Clothing accessories, jewelry, handbags, umbrellas, eyewear, watches, watchbands and similar items are taxable. Newspapers, magazines, textbooks, self-help and parenting books do not qualify. Georgia's Department of Revenue has published a full list of items that do not qualify for the tax exemption.More States With Sales Tax Holidays
- Alabama
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
