Tax-free weekend: Here's which items are, aren't eligible in Texas

Tax-free weekend in Texas is from Friday, Aug. 11, through Sunday, Aug. 13. The annual "holiday" weekend is the best time to purchase school necessities, including clothes and supplies.

As long as the total price of the purchase is under $100, including delivery fees, shoppers do not have to pay taxes on school supplies online or in person.

If you decide to purchase items online, be sure the purchase date is within the holiday weekend timeframe. An online purchase at 11 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13, will most likely be declined by the online payment processor, making your purchase taxable. The sooner, the better.

Tax-free weekend does not only apply to students. So, if you want some new pens and legal pads for your office or a new outfit, check out the list below on what is and isn't eligible.

School supplies worth more than $2,000 were given out at the South Texas Vocational Technical Institute's annual school supply giveaway Saturday, July 22, 2023.
School supplies worth more than $2,000 were given out at the South Texas Vocational Technical Institute's annual school supply giveaway Saturday, July 22, 2023.

Which school supplies are eligible?

  • Binders

  • Blackboard chalk

  • Book bags

  • Calculators

  • Cellophane tape

  • 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 - including dry erase 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

Which clothing items are eligible?

  • Adult diapers

  • Athletic socks

  • Baby bibs

  • Baby clothes

  • Baby diapers - cloth or disposable

  • Backpacks - with wheels or messenger

  • Baseball accessories - caps and jerseys

  • Belts with attached buckles

  • Blouses

  • Boots - cowboy, general purpose and hiking

  • Bowling shirts

  • Bras

  • Camp clothes

  • Caps - baseball, fishing and golf

  • Chef uniforms

  • Children’s novelty costumes

  • Clerical vestments

  • Coats

  • Coveralls

  • Dresses

  • Earmuffs

  • Fishing caps

  • Football jerseys

  • Gloves - general, dress and leather

  • Golf accessories - caps, dresses, jackets, windbreakers, shirts and skirts

  • Graduation caps and gowns

  • Gym suits and uniforms

  • Hats

  • Hooded shirts and hooded sweatshirts

  • Hosiery - including support hosiery

  • Household aprons

  • Jackets

  • Jeans

  • Jogging apparel

  • Knitted caps or hats

  • Leg warmers

  • Leotards and tights

  • Masks - costume, cloth and disposable fabric

  • Neckwear and ties

  • Nightgowns and nightshirts

  • Painter pants

  • Pajamas

  • Pants

  • Panty hose

  • Raincoats and ponchos

  • Rain hats

  • Religious clothing

  • Robes

  • Safety shoes - adaptable for street wear

  • Scarves

  • Scout uniforms

  • Shawls and wraps

  • Shirts - including hooded

  • Shoes - general, boat, cross trainers, dress, flip-flops, jellies, running (without cleats), safety, sandals, slippers, sneakers, tennis and walking

  • Shorts

  • Skirts

  • Slips

  • Socks

  • Suits, slacks and jackets

  • Suspenders

  • Sweatshirts

  • Sweat suits

  • Sweaters

  • Swimsuits

  • Tennis accessories - dresses, shorts, shoes and skirts

  • Tights

  • Trousers

  • Underclothes - pants and shirts

  • Uniforms - school, work, nurse, waitress, military, postal, police and fire

  • Veils

  • Vests - general, fishing (non-flotation) and hunting

  • Workout clothes

West Oso High School senior Alaejah Reed, center, and Incarnate Word Academy junior Isabella Cuevas, left, shop with 4- and 7-year-old John F. Kennedy Elementary students at JCPenney in La Palmera shopping mall on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022, in Corpus Christi, Texas.
West Oso High School senior Alaejah Reed, center, and Incarnate Word Academy junior Isabella Cuevas, left, shop with 4- and 7-year-old John F. Kennedy Elementary students at JCPenney in La Palmera shopping mall on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Which items are not eligible?

  • Accessories - general, barrettes, belt buckles, bobby pins, elastic ponytail holders, hair bows, hair clips, handbags, handkerchiefs, headbands, jewelry, key cases, purses, sunglasses, sweatbands, wallets, watch bands, watches and umbrellas

  • Baggage items - framed backpacks, athletic, duffle, gym, luggage, briefcases and computer

  • Bathing caps

  • Belts for weight lifting

  • Boots - climbing, fishing, overshoes, galoshes, rubber work, ski and waders

  • Chest protectors

  • Clothing or footwear rentals, alterations (including embroidery) and cleaning services

  • Clothing subscription boxes

  • Computers and software

  • Corsages and boutonnieres

  • Gloves - gardening, rubber, surgical and work

  • Goggles

  • Hard hats

  • Helmets - bike, motorcycle and sports

  • Insoles

  • Items sold for $100 or more

  • Items used to make or repair clothing, including fabric, thread, yarn, buttons, snaps, hooks and zippers

  • Specially-designed athletic activity or protective-use clothing or footwear - including baseball cleats, baseball gloves, baseball pants, batting gloves, bicycle gloves, bicycle shoes (cleated), elbow pads, golf gloves, golf cleats, golf purses, football pads, football pants, hockey gloves, ice skates, knee pads, life jackets and vests, scuba vests, shin guards, ski suits, ski vests, swimming fins, tennis gloves

  • Masks - N95, welder, umpire and swim

  • Personal flotation devices

  • Pocket squares

  • Roller blades and roller skates

  • Safety accessories - clothing and glasses

  • Shoe inserts and shoelaces

  • Shoes - ballet, bowling, cleated or spiked, jazz and dance, overshoes and tap dance

  • Sunglasses

  • Textbooks

  • Welder aprons

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John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or Twitter @johnpoliva.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Which items are, aren't eligible for tax-free weekend