The new school year will be here before you know it, which means shopping for school supplies. But parents can breathe easy with an upcoming sales tax holiday..
Aug. 9-11 is the sales tax holiday for school supplies in Texas when residents can purchase certain items and avoid paying as much as 8.25% in sales tax. Fort Worth ISD kicks off the school year on Aug. 13, with many districts to follow later in the month.
The sales tax-free items range from backpacks and clothes to pencils and notebooks. Here’s what to know:
- Shoppers can buy tax-free items online, by telephone, or in stores.
- For online orders, the item has to be paid for by the customer during the exemption period but can be delivered after.
- The tax-free holiday starts at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 9 and ends at midnight on Aug. 11. The Texas Comptroller recommends calling 800-252-5555 for assistance if you need a refund or other help.
What can you buy tax-free for Texas sales tax holiday?
Items purchased during the tax-free weekend have to be under $100 to qualify for the exemption:
- Hair clips, barrettes, bobby pins, headbands and bows.
- Baby clothes, diapers and bibs.
- Baseball caps, gloves, cleats, jerseys and pants.
- Backpacks, aprons, chef uniforms, camp clothes and coveralls.
- Football jerseys, pads and pants.
- Graduation caps and gowns, gym clothes, jeans and jackets.
- Cloth and disposable face masks, neck wear and ties.
- Shirts, shoes, pants, underwear and undershirts.
- Binders, chalk and calculators.
- Compasses, crayons, erasers and folders.
- Glue, highlighters, index cards and lunch boxes.
- Notebooks, markers, paper, pencils and pens.
- Rulers, scissors and pencil sharpeners.
Find the complete list of tax-free clothes and school supplies here.
What can’t you buy tax-free in Texas?
These items do not qualify for exemptions:
- Items sold for over $100.
- Clothing subscription boxes.
- Athletic activity or protective-use clothing or footwear.
- Clothing or footwear rentals, alterations and cleaning services.
- Items used to repair clothing such as fabric, yarn, buttons, hooks, thread and zippers.
- Jewelry, handbags, purses, briefcases and luggage.
- Computers, software and textbooks.
Be sure to calculate additional charges for tax-free items
All delivery, shipping, handling and transportation charges by the seller are part of the product’s sales price, meaning that it’s all tax-free.
Since items must be less than $100 to qualify, Texans need to factor in the product’s total sales price to see if it qualifies for exemption. For example, if a pair of jeans costs $95 with a $10 delivery fee, the total would be $105, and therefore, it would not be tax-free.
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