HARLINGEN — The school year may be delayed, but the tax-free weekend to buy scholastic supplies and other items is still on.
The annual tax-savings weekend this year will be held Aug. 7-9.
Parents can save money by buying qualifying items like clothing, footgear, backpacks and school supplies.
The school year in Harlingen will start, at the earliest, more than a month behind the original calendar. The Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District is abiding by an order from County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. to delay the start of face-to-face classes until Sept. 10.
To ensure social distancing, school supplies can be purchased online without paying sales tax.
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.
The date of the sales tax holiday and list of tax-exempt items are set by the Texas Legislature and can be accessed online at http://texastaxholiday.org/
“Even though significant uncertainty remains for our public and private schools as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sales tax holiday is a perfect opportunity to save money on school supplies and other tax-free items at a time when many Texans are carefully monitoring their family finances,” Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said.
“Online shopping is covered, so I encourage all Texans to shop online or practice social distancing when making in-store purchases,” he added. “We want folks to stay safe while saving money.”
