Texas’ tax-free weekend for school supplies is coming up. Here are the items that qualify

Brayden Garcia
Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

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 just for them.

Aug. 11-13 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. 14, 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. 11 and ends at midnight on Aug. 13. In the event of needing a refund or other help, the Texas Comptroller recommends calling 800-252-5555 for assistance.

What items qualify during 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’s doesn’t qualify in Texas sales tax holiday?

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 have to be less than $100 to qualify, Texans need to factor the product’s total sales price to see if it qualifies for exemption. For example, if a pair of jeans is $95 with a $10 delivery fee the total would be $105 and therefore not tax-free.

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