Texas Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday starts Friday

With the start of school for many Valley students just around the corner, the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday gets under way from Friday through midnight Sunday.

Texans have the opportunity to save on tax-free purchases of most clothing, footwear and various back-to-school essentials priced under $100 during the tax free weekend.

Qualifying items can be purchased in person at a Texas store or an online seller doing business in the state.

The exemption applies to each eligible item sold for less than $100, and there is no limit to the number of qualifying items you can buy.

Clothing that would qualify for exemption from tax include underclothes, shoes, sweaters, baby diapers, jeans and uniforms.

Some clothing items that do not qualify include umbrellas, hair clips, jewelry, purses, or wallets.

School supplies that are exempt from taxes consist of binders, composition books, index cards, lunch boxes, pencils, and writing tablets under $100.

Texans can also buy qualifying items online, by telephone, mail or custom order. The sale of the item must take place during the specific time of tax free weekend.

For an online purchase, if a person enters their credit card information in a website to buy qualifying items anytime during the specific period but the items do not ship or arrive until after the tax-free week, the purchase will still qualify for exemption.

However, if the charge to the credit card is declined by the payment processor and the purchaser does not resubmit payment until after the weekend, the purchase is taxable.

“The back-to-school season is a great chance for Texas families to score deals and save money, while also supporting our local businesses,” State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa said in a press release. “I urge families to make the most of the sales tax holiday this weekend to stretch their hard-earned dollars further. You can shop either in stores or online with Texas-based sellers.”