Tax-free weekend: Here's which school supplies are and aren't eligible in Texas

John Oliva, Corpus Christi Caller Times
·4 min read

Tax-free weekend in Texas is from Friday, Aug. 5, through Sunday, Aug. 7. The holiday weekend is the best time to purchase school necessities including clothes and supplies.

With inflation at the forefront of Texans' minds, the three-day event is a form of relief.

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. 7, 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.

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

  • Marker, including dry erase

Notebooks are a school supply necessity for students.
Notebooks are a school supply necessity for students.

  • 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 school supplies are not eligible?

Textbooks in a bookstore.
Textbooks in a bookstore.

  • Computers

  • Textbooks

Which clothing items are eligible?

  • Adult diapers

  • Baby bibs

  • Baby clothes

  • Baby diapers — cloth or disposable

  • Baseball caps

  • Baseball jerseys

  • Belts with attached buckles

  • Blouses

  • Boots — general purpose, cowboy and hiking

  • Bowling shirts

  • Bras

  • Camp clothes

  • Caps — baseball, fishing and golf

  • Chef uniforms

  • Children's novelty costumes

  • Clerical vestments

  • Coats and wraps

  • Coveralls

  • Dresses

  • Earmuffs — cold weather

  • 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 face masks

  • Painter pants

  • Pants

  • Panty hose

  • Raincoats and ponchos

  • Rain hats

  • Religious clothing

  • Robes

  • Scarves

  • Scout uniforms

  • Shirts, including hooded

  • Shoes — general, boat, cross trainers, dress, flip-flops, jellies, running without cleats, safety (adaptable for streetwear), sandals, slippers, sneaker and walking

  • Shorts

  • Skirts

  • Sleepwear — nightgowns, nightshirts and pajamas

  • Slippers

  • Slips

  • Socks, including soccer and athletic

  • Suits, slacks and jackets

  • Suspenders

  • Sweatshirts

  • Sweat suits

  • Sweaters

  • Swimsuits

  • Tennis dresses, shoes, shorts and skirts

  • Ties

  • Tights

  • Trousers

  • Underclothes, including underpants and undershirts

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

  • Veils

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

  • Workout clothes

Which clothing items are not eligible?

  • Accessories — barrettes, belt buckles, bobby pins, briefcases, elastic ponytail holders, hair bows, hair clips, handbags, handkerchiefs, headbands, sweatbands, ribbons, jewelry, key cases, purses, wallets, pocket squares, wrist bands, watch bands and watches

  • Backpacks — unless for use by elementary or secondary students

  • Baseball accessories — cleats, gloves and pants

  • Bathing caps

  • Belts for weight lifting

  • Boots — climbing (cleated or spiked), fishing (waders), overshoes, galoshes, rubber work boots and ski

  • Chest protectors

  • Cloth — lace, yarn and other fabric

  • Clothing repair items — including thread, tape, buttons, zippers, embroidery, patterns and iron-on patches

  • Earmuffs — noise canceling

  • Elbow, knee, shin and shoulder pads, including football, hockey and soccer

  • Football pants

  • Gloves — batting, bicycle, garden, hockey, rubber, surgical, tennis and work

  • Goggles and swimming masks

  • Golf accessories — gloves and purses

  • Hard hats

  • Helmets — bike, baseball, football, hockey, motorcycle and sports

  • Ice skates

  • Insoles

  • Life jackets and vests

  • Luggage

  • Masks — N95, welder, umpire, swim or other similar personal protection equipment

  • Paint or dust respirators and incidental supplies

  • Personal flotation devices

  • Roller blades and skates

  • Safety accessories — clothing, glasses and shoes (not adaptable for streetwear)

  • Shoelaces

  • Shoes — bowling, bicycle, golf, ballet, bowling, cleated or spiked, football, jazz and dance, soccer (cleated), track, tap and water sport

  • Shower caps

  • Ski boots, suits and vests

  • Sunglasses, except prescription

  • Umbrellas

  • Vests — bulletproof, flotation, scuba and water-ski

  • Welder aprons

  • Wet and dry suits

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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: Texas tax-free weekend: Here's which school supplies are eligible