A Weekend To Save On Back-To-School Shopping

By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter

EAST TEXAS – Back-to-school shopping has a way of turning a short list into a full cart. New shoes lead to new socks, a backpack leads to notebooks and folders, and before long, families are trying to remember everything a student will need for the first day of class. Texas families will have one helpful opportunity to trim those costs during the state’s annual sales tax holiday, which runs Friday, Aug. 7, through midnight Sunday, Aug. 9. During the weekend, most qualifying clothing, footwear, school supplies and student
backpacks priced below $100 may be purchased without sales tax. The timing will be especially useful for families across Houston County. Latexo students will already have returned to class, followed by Grapeland and Slocum on Wednesday, Aug. 5, and Kennard on Thursday, Aug. 6. Crockett and Elkhart schools begin Monday, Aug. 10, while
Lovelady students will return Wednesday, Aug. 12. That means some families will be using the weekend to finish a school list, while others will be
making their final purchases before the first bell rings. The basic rule is fairly simple: Each qualifying item must cost less than $100. An item priced at exactly $100 does not qualify, but families may purchase multiple eligible items, and there is no
limit on the number of qualifying clothing or footwear items bought during the weekend. The exemption includes many of the things students wear every day, including shirts, pants, dresses, coats, shoes, socks and school uniforms. Tennis shoes, jogging suits and swimsuits may also qualify because they can be worn for purposes other than organized athletic activity. Specialized athletic and protective equipment remains taxable. Football pads and other items designed primarily for a particular sport or protective use generally do not qualify. Backpacks are included, provided the student backpack is priced below $100. The exemption includes backpacks with wheels and messenger bags. Families may purchase up to 10
qualifying backpacks tax free at one time. The rules do not cover every type of bag. Luggage, briefcases, athletic or gym bags, computer bags, purses and framed backpacks remain taxable. Many ordinary school supplies are also included, such as binders, calculators, composition books, crayons, folders, glue, highlighters, lunch boxes, markers, notebooks, paper, pencil boxes, pens, pencils, rulers and scissors. Only the school supplies specifically listed by the Texas Comptroller qualify, and each item must be priced below $100. Some familiar back-to-school purchases are not part of the holiday. Computers, computer software, textbooks, jewelry, watches, wallets and other accessories remain taxable. In most cases, shoppers do not need to provide an exemption certificate to receive the tax break. The holiday applies to qualifying purchases made in Texas stores as well as purchases made online, by telephone, mail or catalog from sellers doing business in Texas.