From August 7 through August 9, families can save big during the state’s annual sales tax holiday. Over the tax-free weekend, qualifying items priced under $100 will be exempt from local and state taxes, meaning you won’t be charged the extra tax fees when you buy them.
School supplies, clothing, backpacks, and footwear are some of the most popular purchases made each year, but cloth and disposable diapers are also eligible. (We’ll dive into a whole list of what will and won’t be taxed below). This tax exemption is applied in person, online, and via mail and telephone for all eligible purchases made between Aug. 7-9.
Texas Comptroller Don Huffines’s official news release announcing the holiday weekend notes that items placed on layaway at stores, as well as final payments for things you previously placed on layaway and are still paying off, will also be tax-free. The important thing to remember in all of this, though, is that tax exemptions will only be applied to individual items priced $100 or less.
This is especially good to keep in mind when you’re shopping online, as delivery and shipping and handling fees will all be calculated into the total price of your purchase. As the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts website explains it, “You buy a pair of jeans for $95 with a $10 delivery charge for a total price of $105. Because the jeans’ total price is more than $100, tax is due on the entire $105 price.”
Now that we’ve gotten the math portion out of the way, we’re going to take a closer look at how you can save on your back-to-school shopping this year. Or, as Huffines said in his release, “This holiday initiative isn’t just about short-term relief — it’s a cornerstone of financial support for Texas families, reducing the cost burden of essential educational supplies and clothing.”
Qualifying items for tax-free weekend include school supplies, clothing, and more
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts has provided detailed information on which items are tax-free and which aren’t via this link, and you can also search here for something specific if it isn’t already listed. To save you time jumping back and forth between resources right now, here are some important qualifying items:
- Calculators, rulers, protractors, and compasses
- Binders, folders (manila, plastic, pocket, and expandable)
- Lunch boxes and book bags
- Blackboard chalk
- Notebooks, composition books, and legal pads
- Glue sticks, paste, and glue
- Scissors
- Index cards, paper (copy, loose leaf ruled notebook, tracing, construction, colored, and poster, plus a few others)
- Pencils, pens, highlighters, markers, crayons, dry erase markers, erasers, pencil sharpeners
- Writing tablets
- Baby bibs, clothes, and diapers
- Coats
- Graduation gowns and caps
- Hats
- Jeans, blouses, ties, pajamas, Scout uniforms, shirts, shorts, swimsuits, sweater
- Work clothes and uniforms
- Backpacks
- Disposable and cloth face masks (However, medical grade and industrial masks, as well as replacement filters, will be taxed)
Note: Most clothing and shoes under $100 are tax-free with no limit on how many you can purchase at once as long as each individual item is under $100.
If you buy something that is supposed to be tax exempt but you still get charged local or state taxes by mistake during the Aug. 7-9 holiday, you can get a refund from the seller. All you need to do is download and fill out this Form 00-985, Assignment to Right to Refund and submit it to the Comptroller using contact information found here.
Tax exemptions will not be issued for the following purchases
Items that are over $100 will still be taxed as usual, as will these:
- Computers and software
- Accessories (handbags, jewelry, watches, umbrellas, wallets)
- Embroidery services, alterations, and clothing cleaning services
- Baggage (luggage, duffle bags, computer bags, framed backpacks, gym bags, briefcases)
- Footwear and/or clothing rentals
- Textbooks
- Clothing subscription boxes
- Anything used to repair or make clothing (thread, fabric, buttons, zippers, yarn, snaps, hooks)
- Athletic gear (shoulder pads, cleats, helmets, shin guards, dance shoes)
Any rain checks handed out during the holiday weekend will not qualify your purchase for a tax exemption in the future.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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