Clothing, backpacks and school supplies priced under $100 are sales-tax-free from Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 9, giving Flower Mound and Highland Village families a chance to stock up before Lewisville ISD classes begin Wednesday, Aug. 12.
Texas Comptroller Don Huffines announced the three-day holiday is expected to save Texas families $142.5 million in state and local sales taxes. Since the program launched in 1999, Texans have saved more than $2 billion on back-to-school purchases.
The timing is tight. LISD's first day of school falls just five days after the holiday opens Friday, Aug. 7.
What qualifies
Most clothing and footwear under $100 per item qualifies, along with school supplies including binders, calculators, notebooks, folders, glue, scissors, pencils, pens, markers, crayons and erasers. Backpacks and messenger bags under $100 are also exempt, according to the Texas Comptroller's office.
Items that do not qualify: jewelry, handbags, watches, wallets, luggage, gym bags, computers, software, cleats, helmets and anything priced at $100 or more, according to a CultureMap Austin rundown of the Comptroller's guidelines.
One online-shopping catch: delivery charges count toward the item's price. A $95 pair of jeans with a $10 shipping fee totals $105 and would be taxable.
No exemption certificate is needed for most purchases. Shoppers buying more than 10 backpacks at once are the exception.
Where to shop locally
The Shops at Highland Village offers several clothing retailers in one outdoor stop. Chico's, at 4071 Deer Creek, carries women's clothing and accessories. A J. Crew Factory store at 1100 Cottonwood Creek was targeted to open this month, though its status has not been confirmed.
NFIB Texas State Director Jeff Burdett urged shoppers to choose neighborhood stores over big-box chains. "Every purchase made at a small business during the sales tax holiday weekend helps boost the Lone Star State's economy," Burdett told the Cross Timbers Gazette. "It's a small way to make a big difference."
A U.S. News & World Report survey found more than half of Americans expect to spend $101–$300 per child on back-to-school shopping, and 72 percent of parents anticipate difficulty covering those costs.
If you're charged tax by mistake
Shoppers who are charged sales tax on a qualifying item during the holiday can request a refund from the seller or file a claim with the Comptroller's office using Form 00-985.
The tax-free window closes at midnight Sunday, Aug. 9. Rain checks issued during the holiday do not extend the exemption to later purchases.
