It’s tax-free weekend in Missouri. What items are included for 2024 shopping?

The first weekend of August is the perfect time for parents to get their back-to-school shopping done, as many items are tax-free in Missouri.

Missouri’s tax-free weekend this year will be Aug. 2-4. The sales tax holiday always begins on the first Friday in August and continues through the following Sunday, according to state law.

Anyone can shop without paying any state or local sales taxes on included items, even if you’re not shopping specifically to go back to school or if you don’t live in the state.

Since Kansas does not have a tax-free weekend, people living there can shop at Missouri stores and get their items tax-free. As can residents in bordering states like Iowa, Illinois and Kentucky.

Clothes, electronics and school supplies are some of the tax-free items — but there are price limits on how much they can cost and still be tax-free. Here’s what to know before you shop in August.

WHERE DOES THE TAX-FREE WEEKEND APPLY?

Every store in Missouri participates in the tax-free weekend, according to the Missouri Department of Revenue. Municipalities within the state can no longer opt out of the sales tax after Senate Bill 153 was passed in 2021.

Tax-exempt items bought online also count toward the tax-free weekend, the department said. The items can be delivered after the weekend, but the transaction has to be completed Aug. 2-4 and shipped to a Missouri address.

WHAT ARE ALL OF THE QUALIFYING TAX-FREE ITEMS?

These clothing items for all ages will be tax-free:

• Belts

• Cloth and other materials for making uniforms and other clothing

• Coats

• Diapers, both cloth and disposable

• Dresses

• Gloves

• Hats

• Housecoats and slippers

• Jackets

• Leggings

• Pants

• Shirts

• Shorts

• Shoelaces

• Shoes or boots

• Socks

• Tights

• Undergarments

Computer items that will have taxes suspended include:

• Compact disk drives

• Daughterboards

• Digitizers

• Disk drives

• Desktop and laptop computers

• Display monitors

• Keyboards

• Memory modules

• Microphones

• Modems

• Motherboards

• Mouse

• Multimedia speakers

• Printers that must be connected to a computer

• Random access memory

• Scanners

• Single-user hardware

• Single-user operating systems

• Soundcards

• Storage drives

• Tablet computers or iPads

• Tower computer systems

• Video cards

You will not have to pay sales taxes on these school and office supplies:

• Art supplies

• Art razor knives and replacement blades

• Backpacks

• Binder clips

• Blank computer disks

• Book bags

• Card stock

• Chalk

• Crayons

• Dry-erase markers

• File folders

• Graphing calculators

• Globes

• Glue

• Handheld calculators

• Hole punches

• Index divider tabs

• Index dividers

• Inkjet refills

• Journals

• Lunch boxes

• Magnetic note pads

• Maps

• Mini pocket packs with paper

• Musical instruments

• Note cards

• Notebooks

• Padlocks

• Paper

• Poster mounting putty

• Pushpins

• Rubber bands

• Rulers

• Scissors

• Staplers

• Staples

• Stencils

• Tape

• Textbooks

• Thumbtacks

• USB flash drives

• Writing instruments

• Writing tablets

ARE THERE ITEMS THAT DON’T QUALIFY?

While these items may be used in school, they are not included in the tax-free weekend:

• Adding machine tape

• Batteries

• Belt buckles

• Blackboards

• Briefcases

• Bulletin boards

• CD players

• Copiers

• Desktop telephones

• Digital cameras

• Envelopes

• Facial tissues

• Film

• Film processing

• Furniture or fixtures

• Handbags

• Handkerchiefs

• Headbands

• Headphones

• Halloween costumes

• Handheld media devices, like iPods

• Jewelry

• Keepsake boxes with paper

• Locker mirrors

• Mailing tapes

• MP3 players and accessories

• Non-digital cameras

• Paper trimmer and blade refills

• Portable telephones

• Power strips

• Pre-recorded compact discs and DVDs

• Radios

• Scarves

• Single-use cameras

• Sporting equipment

• Standalone printers

• Storage bags

• Sunglasses

• Tablecloths

• Thank-you notes

• Ties

• Umbrellas

• VHS tapes

• Watches

• Watchbands

ARE THERE LIMITS TO HOW MUCH ITEMS CAN COST TO BE TAX-FREE?

Yes, some items have price caps to qualify for tax exemption.

According to the Missouri Department of Revenue:

• A piece of clothing must cost no more than $100.

• School supplies can’t exceed $50 per purchase.

• Graphing calculators need to cost no more than $150.

• Computer software must cost no more than $350.

• Computers, laptops and peripheral devices, like keyboards or a mouse, can cost no more than $1,500.

For example, a pair of jeans that costs $50 is tax-free, but a Chiefs jersey that costs $130 will be taxed.

This story was originally published July 25, 2024 at 12:58 PM.

Joseph Hernandez

The Kansas City Star

Joseph Hernandez joined The Kansas City Star’s service journalism team in 2021. A Cristo Rey Kansas City High School and Mizzou graduate, he now covers trending topics and finds things for readers to do around the metro.