Cassie Northern 
Hurricane season runs officially from June through November, and ramps up as summer turns into fall. To encourage residents to be storm-ready, Virginia has announced its annual tax-free shopping weekend. Certain items that are useful for preparing for a storm or waiting for the power to come back on will be sold without taxes during the weekend of August 7th-9th, 2026. Read on for more about Virginia’s sales tax holiday and what you can stock up on.
Hurricane Season
Virginia Governor Abigail Spamberger announced the beginning of hurricane season on June 1st. In a statement, she encouraged residents to prepare now, before the season got underway.
“As Atlantic hurricane season begins, I urge every Virginian to take the time now to review their emergency plans and make sure their families are fully prepared for the months ahead,” said Governor Abigail Spanberger. “Whether you live in Hampton Roads, Southwest Virginia, or anywhere in between, severe weather can impact every community across our Commonwealth. By taking steps to prepare now, we can save lives, protect property, and lessen the damage to local communities when storms threaten Virginia.”
Governor Spanberger said, “We know storms that start in the Atlantic or Gulf can come north and cause severe damage to Virginia, and we saw this with the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. We are working together to strengthen collaboration across state agencies, but our first responders, community organizations, and individual Virginians are equally as important to an effective disaster response.”
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“Preparedness starts long before a storm appears on the forecast map,” said Lauren Opett, Acting State Coordinator of Emergency Management. “The best time to gather supplies, review evacuation plans, and discuss emergency procedures with your household is now. Small steps taken today can make a tremendous difference when severe weather impacts Virginia. Our team at VDEM stands ready to support communities across the Commonwealth throughout hurricane season.”
What is the Tax-Free Holiday Weekend
According to the Virginia Department of Taxation, this type of sale occurs annually and always at the beginning of August. This year’s “Virginia Sales Tax Holiday” will start at 12:01 AM on Friday, August 7th and end on Sunday, August 9th at 11:59 PM.
Between these times, while money won’t necessarily be taken off of the existing prices of items, participating items won’t have any tax added to them. This deal will also apply not only to items bought in-person, but online as well, and the savings from each purchase will reportedly be anywhere between 5.3% and 7%.
In addition to the usual emergency or weather preparation items, things such as school supplies, apparel and shoes won’t have any tax applied as well. Certain Energy Star and WaterSense items may also be included in the sale.
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The Virginia Department of Taxation describes emergency preparation items as including generators, flashlights, First Aid kits, duct tape, and more.
It’s worth noting that not all items will be a part of the tax-free holiday; there are specific terms based on the kind of product, how much it costs normally, and where in Virginia the item is being sold.
For more information on the sales weekend and what else will be purchasable without any tax applied, visit The Virginia Department of Taxation’s website and head to the Virginia Sales Tax Holiday page.
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