The 2023 Texas tax-free weekend for back-to-school shopping runs from Friday, August 11 to midnight on Sunday, August 13. You only have three days to buy certain items tax-free, so if you haven’t done your school shopping yet, now is a good time to plan your trip.
Texas’ state sales tax rate is 6.25%. That means you could save at least $6.25 on every $100 spent on qualifying purchases during the sales tax holiday. Those savings can really add up. Here’s what you need to know to save as much money as possible this weekend.
Texas tax-free weekend
Shoppers can purchase most school supplies, clothing and footwear tax-free during the annual back-to-school Texas sales tax holiday. But there are some exclusions, so it’s best to know the rules before you head to the store. Items must cost less than $100 to qualify for a tax-exemption. So, if an item costs $150, you’ll pay sales tax on the entire amount as opposed to only the amount over $100.
What is included in the Texas sales tax holiday
The Texas 2023 tax-free weekend exempts most types of back-to-school items, but some purchases are still taxable during the three-day event.
Items that qualify for the tax holiday: All the below items are tax-exempt during the tax-free weekend.
- Baby bibs, clothes and diapers
- Jeans, shorts, slacks and suits
- Baseball caps, hunting vests and costume masks
- Socks, shoes and sandals
- Backpacks and lunch boxes
- Calculators, rulers and scissors
- Crayons, pencils, markers and highlighters
- Notebooks, folders and binders
- Back-to-school kits (if the value of tax-exempt items in a kit is more than the value of the taxable items)
Items that don’t qualify for the tax holiday: If you purchase the below items, you will need to pay sales tax, regardless of when you buy them.
- Computers and tablets
- Printers and printer ink
- Textbooks and software
- Cleats and baseball gloves
- Watches, jewelry, handbags and briefcases
- Bowling shoes
- Sewing items and buttons
- Safety glasses
- Barrettes, headbands and other accessories
For a full list of taxable and tax-exempt items, shoppers can visit the Texas Comptroller website.
Online shopping qualifies for Texas’ tax-free weekend
Qualifying purchases made online are tax-exempt during the sales tax holiday. For your order to be tax-free, your items must be shipped to a Texas address. Additionally, you must pay for the items during the tax-free weekend.
This means your order would be taxable if your payment method is declined during the sales tax holiday and resubmitted once the sales tax holiday ends. Orders do not need to be delivered during the tax-free weekend to qualify. Orders made via mail or telephone also qualify for the sales tax holiday, but the same rules apply.
List of tax-free items in Texas
If you miss the sales tax holiday, you can still purchase several items tax-free next month. A Texas sales tax relief law will become effective on September 1 and will exempt several items from Texas’ 6.25% sales tax. Here are some of the items you will soon be able to purchase tax-free in Texas.
- Baby diapers and wipes
- Baby bottles
- Maternity clothing
- Some feminine hygiene products
- Sterile bandages
The best part about the sales tax exemption that begins in September is that it will exempt qualifying items permanently rather than just for a weekend.
