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HARRISBURG, PA \u2013 June 25, 2026 \u2013 Senator Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton) announced that her legislation establishing a sales tax holiday on school supplies was unanimously adopted by the state Senate as an amendment to House Bill 1667, tax code legislation advancing as part of the Pennsylvania budget process. The amendment is based on Boscola\u2019s previously introduced Senate Bill 717. Aimed at combating the effects of inflation, the provision provides targeted tax relief on items commonly found on back-to-school shopping lists, such as book bags, crayons, textbooks, and tablets.<\/p>\n
If enacted, the proposal would establish a two-week sales tax holiday to take place annually, from the first Saturday in August through the third Saturday in August. During this two-week holiday, school supplies, art supplies, and instructional materials with a sales price of not more than $50 per item will be exempt from state sales tax. Personal computers and tablets with a sales price of not more than $1,500 per item will also be exempt.<\/p>\n
\u201cInflation has really hit Pennsylvanians hard,\u201d Boscola said. \u201cEveryone is feeling the effects of it, but working families with children, as well as young adults paying their way through college, have been uniquely impacted by rising costs. I believe it is our responsibility as legislators to do something about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
School supplies, regardless of the student\u2019s age, are often a non-negotiable expense heading into the academic year. The average K-5th grader back-to-school list in Pennsylvania contains at least 17 items. Most schools are not equipped to provide these items to their students, leaving families on the hook. The adopted provision makes these items tax-free for shoppers during the holiday, so students show up ready to learn on day one.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy goal with this legislation is to get relief to these families at the right moment \u2013 the first couple of weeks in August are when most students in Pennsylvania are gearing up to head back to school,\u201d Boscola added. \u201cTo me, this is a commonsense proposal to ease the pressure on working families. I\u2019m glad we were able to get this done for Pennsylvania.\u201d<\/p>\n
House Bill 1667 subsequently received final passage in the Senate by a vote of 44-6 and now returns to the House for concurrence in Senate amendments.<\/p>\n