DC guide to tax-free back-to-school shopping in Maryland, Virginia

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Published August 5, 2026 9:23 AM EDT

CEDAR PARK, TEXAS - JUNE 22: School supplies are displayed on shelves at a Target store on June 22, 2026 in Cedar Park, Texas. Retail giants including Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Office Depot have launched their back-to-school sales earlier than usu …

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The Brief

    • Washington, D.C. offers zero back-to-school sales tax holidays, hitting residents with a flat 6% tax on all clothing, backpacks, and classroom supplies.
    • Virginia is the ideal stop for traditional classroom supplies, which are tax-free up to $20 per item during a three-day tax holiday weekend.
    • Maryland's week-long tax holiday lets parents shop tax-free for clothes and shoes under $100.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - For parents in Washington, D.C., getting the best deal on back-to-school shopping is all about knowing exactly when to cross the district line.

What we know:

While DC imposes a flat 6% sales tax on all clothing and school supplies with zero relief for the back-to-school season, residents have a massive geographic advantage. The district is sandwiched directly between Virginia and Maryland, which both offer tax-free shopping windows in August. 

Shopping strategy

By the numbers:

To maximize savings, families need a two-weekend strategy.

Your first trip should be across the Potomac into Virginia during the three-day tax holiday weekend from August 7–9. The tax-free rules specifically exempt school supplies priced at $20 or less per item. You can also pick up clothing and footwear priced at $100 or less per item completely tax-free. 

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As Virginia's tax-free window closes, Maryland's week-long "Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week" opens, running from August 9–15.

Maryland offers a much longer window to buy apparel and footwear priced at $100 or less per item tax-free. While Maryland does not exempt general school supplies, they specifically exempt the first $40 of any backpack or bookbag purchase. If the backpack costs $50, you only pay the 6% tax on the remaining $10.

School supplies surge

Big picture view:

Families are expected to spend nearly $175 on school supplies this year, according to data from Groundwork Collaborative.

The price of a typical list has increased 7.7% over the past year, with some essential supplies seeing the largest price hikes: lunch boxes (26.8%), notebooks (23%), index cards (22.2%), notebook paper (20%), and tissues (20%).

The Source: Information from this article was sourced from Groundwork Collaborative, 

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