Texas Tax Free Weekend 101

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Texas’ tax-free weekend holiday begins Aug. 11 and lasts through midnight Aug. 13.

“The sales tax exemption applies only to qualifying items you buy during the sales tax holiday. Items you buy before or after the sales tax holiday do not qualify for exemption, and there is no tax refund available,” said the Texas Comptroller‘s website.

Texans can get qualifying items in-store, online, by telephone, mail, custom order, or any other means, however, the sale must take place during a specific period.

Qualifying Items less than $100

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
Kits*
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
Clothes
Masks
Shoes

Items That Do Not Qualify

items sold for $100 or more
clothing subscription boxes
specially-designed athletic activity or protective-use clothing or footwear
clothing or footwear rentals, alterations (including embroidery) and cleaning services
items used to make or repair clothing, such as fabric, thread, yarn, buttons, snaps, hooks and zippers
jewelry, handbags, purses, briefcases, luggage, umbrellas, wallets, watches and other accessories
computers
software
textbooks
certain baggage items (see below)
unspecified school supplies (see below)