This weekend in Texas, from August 8 through August 10, 2025, is the state's annual sales tax holiday, also known as Tax-Free Weekend. During this time, shoppers can buy the following items tax-free, provided each item is priced under $100:
- Most everyday clothing and footwear (e.g., jeans, shirts, dresses, sneakers)
- Casual athletic wear that can be worn outside of sports, such as tennis shoes, jogging suits, and swimsuits
- Face masks (cloth or disposable fabric only)
- Backpacks for school use, including wheeled backpacks and messenger bags (limit 10 per purchase unless certified for school use)
- Specific school supplies, including:
- Binders
- Blackboard chalk
- Book bags and lunch boxes
- Calculators
- Cellophane tape
- Compasses, protractors, rulers
- Composition books, legal pads, notebooks
- Folders (expandable, pocket, plastic, manila)
- Glue, paste, glue sticks
- Index cards and index card boxes
- Paper (loose-leaf, copy, graph, tracing, manila, colored, construction, poster board)
- Pencil boxes and other supply boxes
- Scissors
- Writing utensils (pencils, sharpeners, pens, highlighters, markers, dry erase markers, crayons, erasers)
- Writing tablets
- Other qualifying items include baby diapers, scout uniforms, children's costumes, certain work clothes, and household aprons and socks.
Items that are NOT tax-free this weekend include:
- Items priced $100.01 or more (no partial exemption)
- Specialized athletic or protective gear not worn casually (football pads, golf cleats, ice skates, safety shoes)
- Accessories such as jewelry, watches, handbags, purses, wallets, umbrellas, luggage, gym bags, duffle bags, computer bags
- Clothing rentals, alterations, or cleaning services
- Fabric, thread, buttons, or materials to make clothing
- Non-qualifying school items such as computers, textbooks, software, desks, furniture
- Clothing subscription boxes
The exemption applies if the purchase is made in-store, online, by mail, phone, custom order, or layaway (if final payment is made during the holiday), as long as the price per item and shipping fees combined do not exceed $100. This tax-free weekend allows Texas shoppers to save significantly on back-to- school essentials, estimated at over $133 million statewide this year.
