Tax-free weekend in Alabama July 17–19: What you should know + how to save

Reviewed by: Mary Helene Hall

Reading time: 3 minutes

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Girl smiling and walking down a sidewalk with stone and brick buildings on the right. She is holding a brown bag and in a blue dress. Tress are on the left.
Get ready to shop… Tax-free weekend is coming up! (Jacob Blankenship / Bham Now)

With back-to-school season around the corner, Alabama’s tax-free weekend is kicking off to help families prepare.

From classroom supplies to new sneakers, make sure to purchase during the weekend to save your wallet. A wide variety of items are tax-exempt the entire weekend, and shoppers are not required to be a student or have one.

Keep reading to see what cities are participating, what items are exempt this year and some recommendations for where to shop.

Alabama tax-free weekend 2026 dates and participating cities

This year, Alabama Sales Tax holiday weekend will be from Friday, July 17, to midnight Sunday, July 19. Shoppers in Alabama can grab school supplies, clothes and other select items without paying sales tax in eligible cities across the state.

Participating cities include:

  • Birmingham 
  • Homewood
  • Hoover
  • Irondale 
  • Leeds
  • Mountain Brook
  • Trussville
  • Vestavia Hills 
  • + more! (View full list here)
Girl with long dirty blonde hair in a blue dress browsing through denim clothes. Background of store behind is fairly blurred.
Take advantage of savings — clothing items under $156 are tax-free. (Jacob Blankenship / Bham Now)

What items are tax exempt during Alabama tax holiday?

According to the Alabama Department of Revenue, here’s some of the items that are eligible:

  • Clothing items less than $156 each
  • School supplies, school art supplies or school instructional material $78 or less per item
  • Books at $47 or less each 
  • Single purchases of computers, computer supplies or computer software $1,173 or less

You can view the full list here.

Additional tax-free items you can buy

Even if you’re not doing any back-to-school shopping, you can still take advantage of the savings this weekend. Here are some of the tax-free items you can grab.

  • Diapers
  • Raincoats
  • Computer printers and supplies
  • Paints and paintbrushes 

Items excluded from the Alabama tax-free weekend

Unfortunately, there are some items that will not be eligible for tax-exemption on tax-free weekend.

Some of those items include:

  • Sports equipment 
  • Cell phones
  • Furniture
  • Jewelry 
  • Sunglasses
  • Tools

Tap here to view the entire the list.

Local Birmingham businesses to support this weekend

Wall of colorful book covers on the shelves. Books range in size. On the right you can see Christmas tree lights and a fire extinguisher
Make sure to check out local bookstores on tax-free weekend. (Jacob Blankenship / Bham Now)

Birmingham is full of locally owned shops. While you are out taking advantage of the savings, stop by and check out some of these local gems. You might just find a new favorite spot!

See our full list of local businesses here.

Best shopping centers and malls in Birmingham for tax-free weekend

Here are a few one-stop shopping centers around the city where you can browse, buy — and maybe even treat yourself — all in one place.

National retail brands offering tax-free savings

Don’t forget to cash in on savings at some of these popular national brands:

Will you be shopping local this tax-free weekend? Let us know @bhamnow on Facebook and Instagram!

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Emily Amason
Emily Amason
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