By Belize Live News Staff: Parents, grab the calendar and the school list, because the GST-free shopping days are coming back, and this year you get exactly two shots at them.
The Belize Tax Service has confirmed the return of its GST-Free Days School Supplies initiative, exempting eligible school supplies from the twelve-and-a-half percent General Sales Tax on Saturday, August 15, and Saturday, August 29, 2026, just in time for the back-to-school rush.
It is the second straight year of the popular programme, though veterans of last year’s edition will spot the catch. As Greater Belize Media reported, the 2025 version spread the savings across two full weekends, six shopping days from Friday through Sunday. The 2026 edition trims that to a pair of Saturdays, meaning the same nationwide demand now squeezes through a third of the time.
The savings, though, remain worth chasing. Twelve and a half percent off a full school supply run, the notebooks, pens, geometry sets, bags, and educational materials on the approved list, adds up quickly for a family outfitting one child, let alone three. The exemption covers approved school-related items only, and participating businesses are expected to clearly mark which products qualify, so keep an eye out for the signs and stick to the list for the tax-free win.
A few veteran moves for the tighter window: build the shopping list now, hit the stores early on the fifteenth rather than gambling everything on the twenty-ninth, and keep receipts organized in case of any register mix-ups on qualifying items.
The Belize Tax Service promises more details ahead of the dates, so watch this space. For now, the assignment is simple: two Saturdays, one school list, and every tax-free dollar kept in the family budget where it belongs.
August 15 and August 29. Write it somewhere you will see it.
