Sales Tax Holiday running through Sunday for school supplies, clothing

The annual state Sales Tax Holiday began today to help shoppers save money on clothes and school supplies. The holiday, held since 1999, will run Friday, Aug. 5 through Sunday, Aug. 7 across the state.

The holiday will be for qualifying items such as clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks priced below $100 that will be exempt from sales tax. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar stated in a release Monday, July 25 that the holiday will save shoppers an estimated $8 for every $100 they spend.

“Most Texans won’t hear the back-to-school bell for another month, but it’s never too early to take advantage of the opportunity to save money on everything from book bags to ballpoint pens,” Hegar wrote in the release. “With inflation driving prices higher on just about everything, this sales tax holiday provides Texas families some small relief managing the costs associated with kids heading back to the classroom. As the father of three school-aged children myself, I know how these expenses can add up.”

The comptroller’s office estimates shoppers will save $112 million in state and local sales tax during the upcoming sales tax holiday. Apparel and school supplies that may be purchased tax-free are listed on the Comptroller’s website at texastaxholiday.org. There are specifics for the exemptions, according to the comptroller’s office.

“The item is both delivered to, and paid for by, the customer during the exemption period; or, the customer orders and pays for the item, and the seller accepts the order during the exemption period for immediate shipment, even if delivery is made after the exemption period ends,” the comptroller’s office wrote in the release.

School supplies eligible for the exemption include binders, erasers, crayons, pens, pencils, rulers, lunch boxes, calculators, scissors and paper. For the full list of clothing, footwear and other items eligible and ineligible for the sales tax holiday, visit the comptroller's website here. For the full list of school supplies eligible and ineligible for the sales tax holiday, visit the comptroller's website here.