Does Louisiana Have a Sales Tax Holiday for Back-to-School?

(KMDL-FM) As someone who spends quite a bit of time in the public eye in Louisiana, I get to hear a lot about what you are thinking. And from New Orleans to Lake Charles, Lafayette to Shreveport, and Ruston to Rutheford Beach, I can tell you one thing that everyone in Louisiana can agree with. We all hate taxes.

It doesn't matter whether you're a Republican, a Democrat, a Libertarian, or an Independent; none of us like handing any extra money over to the government. That's why Sales Tax Holidays are such a big deal in the state. Not only are we paying less for items we want and need, but we're not paying more to "the government," which is an entity that a lot of us have trust issues with.

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READ MORE: How Does Louisiana's Sales Tax Compare with the Rest of the Country?

Why Does Louisiana Have Sales Tax Holidays?

Based solely on my recent memory, I can recall the state of Louisiana hosting sales tax holidays for the following reasons. The 2nd Amendment Sales Tax Holiday was designed to make it more affordable for sportsmen and fans of the outdoors to purchase the items they need for hunting season.

There has also been a Hurricane Season Sales Tax Holiday that I recall. This allowed residents of Louisiana the opportunity to invest in generators and other "storm supplies" without having to pay the sales tax on purchases that could be used in storm preparation and recovery.

The third tax holiday that I recall is the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday. This would allow residents of the state to purchase needed items for sending their kids back to school. The tax break would come on clothing, footwear, computers, backpacks, and other school-related supplies.

Is There a Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday in Louisiana?

In the recent session of the Louisiana Legislature, LA HB551 was introduced by Representative Joy Walters. That bill would provide for a Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday on the first Saturday of August each year. On April 14th of this year, the bill was sent to the House Ways and Means Committee, where it died.

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So, no, there will not be any additional tax savings for Louisiana families as they prepare to send kids back to school. The Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday was suspended through June 30th of 2025. It was held annually on the last weekend in May, just before the start of the hurricane season. So, no tax breaks for Louisiana families wanting to protect themselves from storms or storm damage.

Louisiana will have a 2nd Amendment Sales Tax Holiday this year. That event takes place on the first consecutive Friday through Sunday in September, and for 2025, that means you will get tax savings on firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies during the weekend of September 5th through the 7th. Please remember these tax savings only apply to state taxes and not local or federal taxes, where applicable.