2025 Texas Exemption from Sales Tax on Certain Items
The 2025 Texas Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday is just around the corner, taking place from Friday, August 8th, to Sunday, August 10th. During this period, families can save on essential back-to-school items as most clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks priced under $100 will be tax-exempt[1][2][3][4][5].
Here's a breakdown of the items that qualify for tax exemption:
- Clothing and footwear priced under $100
- Backpacks (including those with wheels that can be worn as traditional backpacks, messenger bags) priced under $100; excludes luggage, briefcases, athletic bags, computer bags, purses
- School supplies with individual prices under $100, examples include binders, blackboard chalk, book bags, calculators, cellophane tape, compasses, composition books, crayons, erasers, folders (expandable, pocket, plastic, manila), glue, paste, paste sticks, and more (a full qualifying list is available from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts)[2][4]
It's important to note that each item must be less than $100 including any shipping or handling charges to be tax-exempt[1][4][5]. For example, if the item costs $95 but the $10 delivery charge pushes the total to $105, the purchase is taxable[5].
Up to 10 backpacks can be purchased tax-free at once without an exemption certificate[4]. No exemption certificate is generally needed for personal purchases during the holiday, but businesses must obtain one if buying under a business account for school students[4].
However, there are some items that are not included in the tax-exempt list. These include computers, textbooks, software, subscription boxes, jewelry, watches, purses, luggage, specialty sports gear, and non-prescription sunglasses[3].
Online and mail-order purchases qualify if the seller does business in Texas and payment is processed during the holiday[3][5]. To ensure your online purchases are eligible, make sure the delivery address is within Texas.
This tax holiday aims to help families save on back-to-school essentials, with an estimated $133 million savings statewide in 2025[1]. So, mark your calendars, and get ready to stock up on school essentials during the Texas Back-to-School Tax-Free Weekend!
[1] Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. (2025). Sales Tax Holiday. Retrieved from https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/101-063/ [2] Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. (2025). Sales Tax Holiday - Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved from https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/faq/sales-tax/tx-faq/sales-tax-holiday-faq/ [3] Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. (2025). Sales Tax Holiday - Qualifying Items. Retrieved from https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/101-063/qualifying-items.php [4] Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. (2025). Sales Tax Holiday - Exemption Certificate. Retrieved from https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/101-063/exemption-certificate.php [5] Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. (2025). Sales Tax Holiday - Price Limit Details. Retrieved from https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/101-063/price-limit-details.php
- During the Texas Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday, families can also focus on their personal-finance and budgeting by taking advantage of tax-exempt prices on essential items like clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks that are priced under $100.
- To enhance your lifestyle and shopping experience, keep an eye out for deals-and-discounts on these tax-exempt items, as it could potentially help you save a significant amount on your personal-finance during this period.
- It is crucial to remember that jewelry, watches, purses, luggage, specialty sports gear, and non-prescription sunglasses are not included in the tax-exempt list, so spare your wallet from unnecessary expenditure on these items during the tax-free weekend.
