Save on Apple Products During This Summer’s Tax Holiday

It’s that time of year again when you may be able to save a few bucks on your favorite Apple gear. It all depends on what state you live in, but if you’re fortunate enough to live in or near one of the nine states that are celebrating their annual sales tax holidays.

This year’s list of states includes Alabama, Arkansas, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. However, the rules on what qualifies for tax exemptions vary from state to state. Thankfully, Apple has put together a helpful list that includes both the dates when the tax-free period runs in each state and which specific Apple product categories qualify.

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Overall, the tax-free periods run from July 18 to August 14, although in most states, they’re only in effect for two or three days. Alabama leads the pack from July 18–20, while Ohio has the most generous window, with sales tax exemptions running from August 1–14.

Ohio is also among the least restrictive, with any Apple item qualifying, as long as it’s under $500. Sadly, that leaves out big-ticket items like iPhones, Macs, and higher-end iPads, but Apple’s standard iPad and basic Apple Watch models would come in below the threshold, so it’s not too bad, especially since many other states don’t include things like the Apple Watch, HomePod, or Apple TV.

However, the award for the best sales tax holiday this year goes to Arkansas, which has no maximum purchase limit. Sadly, the Apple Watch isn’t explicitly included, but all Macs, iPads, iPhones, and even the Apple Vision Pro are on the list, which means you could save up to 11.5% on Apple’s big-ticket items, depending on where in the state you’re shopping.

Meanwhile, Virginia comes out at the bottom of the list, with only phone chargers and batteries qualifying, provided they’re priced below $60.

Most of these state tax holidays are designed to help students prepare for the new school year. That’s why the items on the list tend to be at least education-adjacent and typically exclude things like the Apple TV, HomePod, and Apple Watch. For example, Arkansas explicitly says that only “electronic devices commonly used by a student in the course of study” qualify. Still, Apple isn’t holding too stringently to the word “common,” and won’t complain if you want to use the occasion to splurge on a Vision Pro or Mac Studio.

South Carolina is also willing to stretch things a bit, as Apple lists AirPods, but notes that they’re exempt “for school use only.” However, we have no idea if or how Apple Store employees might confirm this.

New Mexico also includes the Apple TV in the “hard drives” accessory category — we can thank Apple’s lawyers for poring over the fine print of state law to figure that one out, since the Apple TV hasn’t technically included a hard drive inside since the original 2007 model.

The HomePod might qualify as a “speaker” accessory; however, like the Apple Watch, Apple doesn’t explicitly list it, so don’t count on it.

Here’s a quick rundown of the tax-free deals by state:

What qualifies as an “accessory” varies slightly between states. Alabama only exempts keyboards, mice, speakers, monitors, and the Apple Pencil if they’re purchased with a computer and the total sale remains under $750. Similarly, despite its generous purchase limits, Arkansas only includes keyboards, mice, displays, and the Apple Pencil among the eligible accessories.

It’s also worth noting that several other states are holding tax holidays this year that Apple hasn’t explicitly listed, for whatever reason. Most of these only exempt items like clothing, footwear, and books, but at least two, Florida and Missouri, include computer equipment. Florida is running a back-to-school sales tax holiday during the whole month of August that includes personal computers and related accessories under $1,500. Missouri’s tax holiday runs from August 1–3 and exempts up to $1,500 in computers, plus computer software under $350, and computer peripheral devices up to another $1,500.