When is Black Friday 2026?
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. Under 5 U.S.C. § 6103, Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November, which in 2026 is November 26. That makes Black Friday Friday, November 27, 2026, and the Monday after it is November 30.
Counting from October 18, 2026, there are 40 days to go. Our countdown calculator keeps the count up to date. In 2027 Thanksgiving falls on November 25, so Black Friday 2027 is November 26.
Black Friday is not a federal holiday. Thanksgiving is on the list in section 6103, but the day after is not, so whether you get it off depends on your employer.
Is the Black Friday discount real? Check the "was" price
A discount is only as good as the price it starts from. The Federal Trade Commission’s Guides Against Deceptive Pricing (16 CFR 233.1) say a former price is a fair basis for a comparison only if it is the actual price at which the item was openly offered to the public, on a regular basis, for a reasonably substantial period of time. A price raised for a few days to make a later cut look bigger is fictitious.
The FTC’s own example: a pen that normally sells for $7.50 is listed at $10 for a few days, then advertised as "Were $10, Now Only $7.50". The ad says 25% off; the real saving is zero. Section 233.2 adds that a "retail value" or "compare at" price should reflect what representative stores in the area actually charge, not a few outliers.
How to check it yourself:
- Write down the price of what you want a few weeks before, and compare it with the Black Friday price.
- Turn the ad around: in the discount calculator, choose "the price before the discount". $60 at 40% off means the store claims a regular price of $100. Was it really $100?
- Compare the final price at other stores, with shipping, not the percentage.
Why 30% off plus an extra 20% is not 50% off
Stacked discounts multiply, they do not add. The second discount applies to the price that is already reduced:
Final price = price × (1 − first discount) × (1 − second discount)
On a $200 item, 30% off leaves $140, and an extra 20% off $140 leaves $112. You save $88, a real discount of 44%. We checked these with the discount calculator, on a $100 price:
| Discounts | You pay | Real discount | Not |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40% + 10% | $54.00 | 46% | 50% |
| 25% + 25% | $56.25 | 43.75% | 50% |
| 30% + 20% | $56.00 | 44% | 50% |
| 50% + 20% | $40.00 | 60% | 70% |
The order of two percentage discounts does not change the result: 20% then 30% also gives $112 on $200. A dollar coupon is different. On $200, $20 off first and then 25% off gives $135; 25% off first and then $20 off gives $130. If you can choose, take the percentage first.
How much is sales tax on a Black Friday purchase?
The discount comes off the price; sales tax then goes on top of what you pay. Sales tax is set by states and local governments, so the rate depends on where you live and shop.
At an 8% rate, the $112 item above costs $120.96 at the register: $8.96 of tax. A $60 item costs $64.80. The sales tax calculator adds the tax for any rate, or takes it out of a total.
A mail-in rebate does not lower the price at the register: you pay the full price, and the rebate comes later, if you claim it. Each state decides how coupons and discounts affect the taxable price, so check your state’s revenue department if the amount matters.
A Black Friday checklist that saves real money
- Set a budget first. A 44% discount on something you did not plan to buy is still a cost.
- Compare final prices, with tax and shipping, across stores and against the price you wrote down weeks before.
- Check the return policy before you pay, not after.
- Watch the card balance. If you carry it from month to month, interest can cancel the discount; see how long it takes to pay off in the credit card payoff calculator.
- Do the math on the spot. The percentage calculator tells you what share of the original price you are really saving.
Official sources
- 5 U.S.C. § 6103: federal holidays · Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November
- FTC Guides Against Deceptive Pricing, 16 CFR Part 233 · § 233.1 former price comparisons; § 233.2 comparisons with prices of others