Would Minnesota Parents Prefer A Back To School Tax-Free Weekend?

Well, here we are at the end of July. The summer has flown by, and I hope that the things you wanted to do you’ve been able to do this summer. More and more parents across Central Minnesota are beginning to buy the supplies their kids will need for the upcoming school year.  

This time of year, takes me back to when I worked in Virginia from 2014-2021, we held a “Stuff the Bus” event. This event coincided with the state’s tax-free weekend. That weekend, all school supplies and related items had no tax added to them.  

The drive was very successful every year because there were a lot of parents who needed assistance to help their kids be ready for school each year and the community responded each year to help out those families.  

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An article from earlier this year from NerdWallet says that Virginia is one of 18 states around the country that hold these “taxless” events each year. The tax-free period can last for a weekend or longer depending on the state.  

I moved to Minnesota in 2023 so last year was the first beginning of school year I had here and was surprised that Minnesota was not one of the states that offered the tax-free benefit.  

What Does Minnesota Offer Families?

What Minnesota does offer is the K-12 Education Credit, which has some income restrictions and the K-12 Education Subtraction Credit which does not have income parameters.  

According to the Minnesota Department of Revenue from last year, 43,000 parents in 2023 took advantage of the K-12 Education Credit got an average credit of $333 and 118,000 parents who used the K-12 Education Subtraction Credit had an average subtraction of $1,395 from the taxes they filed the follow year.  

You do have to keep up with your receipts to be able to get these credits.  

What Would Be Included In A Tax Free Weekend?

The states that offer tax-free periods have a maximum amount that each item can cost, most states include clothes, traditional school supplies as well as computers and tablets that students will use during the year. Some states even include workout equipment as well. 

Of course, there are many adults who don’t have kids in school anymore who take advantage of the tax-free period to upgrade their computers and other applicable tech gear or their workout equipment, and that’s ok with everybody.   

If you are a parent that has more than one child, is the impact one of the two credits Minnesota offers better for you, or would you rather take the taxes off the top at the register? Not that we have the option here in Minnesota, but I think it’s a good conversation starter at least.