Tax-Free Shopping for Texans This Weekend

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said, “Shoppers can stock up on many school supplies, school backpacks and most children’s and adults’ clothing and shoes priced at less than $100 without paying state or local sales tax.”

This year marks the 13th annual Sales Tax Holiday. Combs predicts shoppers will save $62.1 million in state and local sales taxes this weekend.

Lists of apparel and school supplies that may be purchased tax free can be found on the Comptroller’s website at www.texastaxholiday.org.

School Supplies

The 81st Texas Legislature passed HB 1801 (2009) expanding the list of items qualifying for exemption from Texas state and local sales and use taxes during the annual sales tax holiday in August. In addition to clothes, footwear and some backpacks, Texas families also get a sales tax break on most school supplies priced at less than $100 purchased for use by a student in an elementary or secondary school.

The following is an all-inclusive list of qualifying school supplies (if priced less than $100):

Binders
Book bags
Calculators
Cellophane tape
Blackboard chalk
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
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