Back-to-school season has arrived, and Texas families can save on clothing, school supplies, and more during the 2026 statewide sales tax holiday running this Friday, August 7 through Sunday, August 9.
Texans can expect to save $142.5 million in state and local taxes during the sales tax holiday this year, according to Don Huffines, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
"Since 1999, Texans have saved more than $2 billion on everything from coats to crayons and scissors to sneakers in preparation for the back-to-school bell," said Huffines in the release. "But this holiday initiative isn’t just about short-term relief — it’s a cornerstone of financial support for Texas families, reducing the cost burden of essential educational supplies and clothing."
More than half of Americans are expected to spend $101-$300 per child on back-to-school shopping, a new U.S. News & World Report survey found. And with 72 percent of parents and guardians expecting they will have some kind of trouble paying for back-to-school expenses this year, every dollar saved brings much-needed relief.
Qualifying tax-free purchases can be made in store, online, through the mail, and via custom order as long as they take place between August 7-9. Shoppers should also be aware that rain checks given during the tax-free weekend won't qualify an item for a future tax exemption.
Online shoppers should additionally note that a retailer's delivery, shipping, handling, and transportation charges all factor into an item's sales price. An example provided by the Comptroller's website is as follows: "You buy a pair of jeans for $95 with a $10 delivery charge for a total price of $105. Because the jeans’ total price is more than $100, tax is due on the entire $105 price."
This is CultureMap's guide for how shoppers can save during the upcoming tax holiday.
Saving on school supplies
The Texas Comptroller's website provides a specific list of school supplies that will be exempt from tax during the weekend. Most items priced under $100 will qualify, unless otherwise specified, and as long as the customer isn't buying in bulk.
The school supplies that qualify for the tax exemption are:
- Binders
- Blackboard chalk
- Book bags and lunch boxes
- Calculators
- Cellophane tape
- Compasses, protractors, and rulers
- Composition books, legal pads, and notebooks
- Folders, including expandable, pocket, plastic, and manila folders
- Glue, paste, and glue sticks
- Index cards and index card boxes
- Paper, including loose leaf ruled notebook paper, copy paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper, construction paper, and poster board
- Pencil boxes and other school supply boxes
- Scissors
- Writing utensils, including pencils, pencil sharpeners, pens, highlighters, markers, dry erase markers, crayons, and erasers
- Writing tablets
School supply kits are also exempt from taxes, but certain kits that contain both taxable and tax-free items will have a taxability based on the value of the items. According to the Texas Comptroller, if the value of the exempt items is worth more than the taxable items, the kit will be tax free. However, if the value of the taxable items comes out to more than the exempt items, then the kit will be taxed. There is no limit on the number of school supplies in kits.
Additionally, student backpacks that are sold for less than $100 – including backpacks with wheels and messenger bags – will be tax free. However, if a customer is purchasing more than 10 backpacks tax-free at one time, they will have to present the seller with an exemption certificate.
Tax-exempt clothing, footwear, and other items
The Texas Comptroller has a detailed guide online to help shoppers determine the taxability on clothing, footwear, and other items. Most footwear and clothing items that are sold for less than $100 are exempt from tax, with no limit on the number of qualifying items, as long as they ring up for under $100.
The website says both cloth and disposable fabric face masks "meet the definition of an article of clothing" and will be tax free, and that includes face masks that are sold with a filter. However, the site clarifies that industrial or medical grade masks (like N95s) and replacement filters will still be taxed.
Other items that are eligible for a tax exemption include cloth and disposable diapers and certain sanitizers and wipes. Products with a Drug Facts label are exempt from tax all year long.
Items that do not qualify
Any items that are sold for $100 or more will still be taxed. Additional items that will still be taxed during the holiday include:
- Any unspecified school supplies that are not on the exemption list above
- Accessories, such as jewelry, handbags, umbrellas, watches, wallets, and more
- Baggage, such as framed backpacks, luggage, briefcases, purses, computer bags, duffle bags, and athletic/gym bags
- Clothing cleaning services, embroidery services, and alterations
- Clothing or footwear rentals
- Clothing subscription boxes
- Computers and software
- Items used to make or repair clothing, such as fabric, thread, zippers, buttons, snaps, hooks, and yarn
- Specifically designed sports shoes, protective-use clothing, and athletic gear, such as cleats, shoulder pads, dance shoes, helmets, shin guards, and others
- Textbooks
What to do if a qualifying item is taxed during the holiday
If customers buy a tax-exempt item between August 7-9 and are still taxed, they should request a refund from the seller on the tax paid for the item. The seller can grant the refund to the buyer, or provide them with Form 00-985, Assignment to Right to Refund, which would allow the customer to file a claim for their refund through the Comptroller's website.
