Texas back-to-school sales tax holiday starts today
As Breckenridge families prepare for the first day of school next Thursday, Aug. 15, they can save a some money this weekend while they shop for school supplies and back-to-school clothes. Today through Sunday, Aug. 9-11, is the State of Texas’ annual sales tax holiday.
The law exempts sales tax on qualified items – such as clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks – priced below $100, saving shoppers about $8 on every $100 they spend. In Breckenridge, the sales tax is .0825, which means that for every $100 spent on qualifying items, shoppers will save $8.25
The savings will be applied at the cash register; no tax exempt certificates are required and no refunds will be issued for items purchased before or after the sale.
During the annual sales tax holiday, shoppers can buy most clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks (sold for less than $100) tax free from a Texas store or from an online or catalog seller doing business in Texas.
Although items exempt from the sales tax must cost less than $100 each, the total amount purchased by a shopper may equal more than $100. The limit applies to individual items, not the total of the purchases.
Click the boxes below for lists of items that are exempt from taxes during the sales tax holiday, Aug. 9-11:
Items must cost less than $100 each.
• Binders
• Blackboard chalk
• Book bags • Calculators
• Cellophane tape
• Compasses
• Composition books
• Crayons
• Erasers
• Folders – expandable, pocket, plastic, and manila
• Glue, paste and paste sticks
• Highlighters • Index cards
• Index card boxes
• Legal pads
• Lunch boxes
• Markers (including dry erase markers)
• Notebooks
• Paper – loose leaf ruled notebook paper, copy paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper, poster board, and construction paper
• Pencil boxes and other school supply boxes
• Pencil sharpeners
• Pencils
• Pens
• Protractors
• Rulers
• Scissors
• Writing tablets
Items must cost less than $100 each.
• Aprons (household)
• Baby bibs
• Baby clothes
• Backpacks – student backpacks sold for less than $100, including backpacks with wheels and messenger bags
• Belts with attached buckles
• Blouses
• Boots – cowboy and hiking
• Bras
• Caps (baseball, fishing, golf)
• Children’s novelty costumes
• Clerical vestments
• Coats and wraps
• Coveralls
• Diapers, cloth and disposable, adult and baby diapers
• Dresses
• Earmuffs, cold weather
• Gloves (generally), Dress (unless rented), Leather
• Golf accessories — golf caps, golf dresses, golf jackets and windbreakers, golf shirts, golf skirts
• Graduation caps and gowns
• Gym suits and uniforms
• Hats
• Hooded shirts and hooded sweatshirts
• Hosiery, including support hosiery
• Jackets
• Jeans
• Jerseys, football, baseball
• Jogging apparel
• Leg warmers
• Leotards and tights
• Masks, costume
• Nightgowns and nightshirts
• Pajamas
• Pants
• Raincoats and ponchos
• Rain hats
• Religious clothing
• Robes
• Scarves
• Scout uniforms
• Shawls and wraps
• Shirts
• Shoes – boat, cross trainers, dress, flip-flops (rubber thongs), jellies, running (without cleats), safety (suitable for everyday use), sandals, slippers, sneakers and tennis, tennis, walking
• Shorts
• Skirts
• Slips
• Socks
• Suits, slacks, and jackets
• Suspenders
• Sweat suits
• Sweaters
• Swimsuits
• Tennis accessories -tennis dresses, tennis shorts, tennis shoes, tennis skirts
• Ties (neckties – all)
• Tights
• Trousers
• Underclothes
• Underpants
• Undershirts
• Uniforms (school, work, nurse, waitress, military, postal, police, fire)
• Veils
• Vests — fishing (non-flotation), hunting
• Work clothes
• Work uniforms
• Workout clothes
The lists of apparel and school supplies that may be purchased tax-free also are listed on the Comptroller’s website at TexasTaxHoliday.org. Be aware that the list on the website includes both taxable and tax-exempt items with each type of item indicated with a (T) for taxable and an (E) for exempt.
Some of the items that are NOT tax-free this weekend include accessories, such as hair clips, ponytail holders, purses, wallets, watches, jewelry, etc.; specialty shoes, such as those with cleats, dance shoes, bowling shoes, etc.; fabric and sewing supplies; rented items; services, such as alterations and clothing repairs; most athletic equipment, such as baseball gloves, helmets, duffel or gym bags, etc.; luggage; framed backpacks; and, computer bags. There are other items that are not tax-exempt; for specific items, check the Comptroller’s website listed above or ask at the retail store you are shopping in.
Shoppers this year will save an estimated $102.2 million in state and local sales taxes during the sales tax holiday, the State Comptroller’s office says.
Texas’ sales tax holiday weekend has been an annual event since 1999.
