Texas Tax-Free Weekend 2026 Is Here (Aug. 7–9): Your Complete Guide to What's Exempt and How to Save

The clock's ticking — Texas's annual sales tax holiday runs this Friday through midnight Sunday. Here's everything that qualifies, what doesn't, and how to squeeze the most out of it.

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It's one of the most popular weekends of the year for Texas families, and it's happening right now. From Friday, August 7 through midnight Sunday, August 9, 2026, Texas's annual Sales Tax Holiday — better known as Tax-Free Weekend — lets shoppers skip sales tax on most clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks priced under $100.

With back-to-school costs climbing every year, this is a genuine, no-strings-attached break for DFW households. But the rules have some important fine print, and knowing them ahead of time is the difference between real savings and a frustrating surprise at checkout. Here's the complete, in-depth guide.

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Quick Facts

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When Exactly Does It Run?

The holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 7 and ends at midnight on Sunday, August 9. That's a full three-day window — Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Texas has held this sales tax holiday every August since 1999, and both the dates and the list of exempt items are set in law by the Texas Legislature. The Texas Comptroller's office administers it and publishes the official qualifying-items list.

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How Much Will You Actually Save?

The exemption covers the full sales tax — the 6.25% state rate plus local rates up to 2%, for a combined rate of up to 8.25% in most of DFW. In plain terms, you save about $8 for every $100 you spend on qualifying items.

That adds up fast when you're outfitting kids for a new school year. Statewide, the Comptroller's office estimated shoppers saved around $133 million in state and local sales taxes during the 2025 holiday. Your share of that depends on how strategically you shop — which is exactly what this guide is for.

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The One Golden Rule: Under $100 Per Item

This is the single most important thing to understand. Each qualifying item must be sold for less than $100. Not $100 even — it has to be under $100. A shirt priced at exactly $100 is taxable; a shirt at $99.99 is not.

A few critical clarifications:

• The threshold is per item, not per purchase. You can buy a cart full of qualifying items and pay no tax on any of them, as long as each individual item is under $100. There's no limit on how many qualifying items you buy.
• You can't split an item's price to sneak under $100. A $120 jacket can't be rung up as two $60 charges — it's the item's actual price that counts, and $120 is taxable.
• Shipping and handling count toward the price. The $100 test applies to the item's total sales price, including any delivery, shipping, handling, or transportation charges. Example: a $95 pair of jeans with a $10 shipping fee totals $105 — over the limit, so the whole $105 is taxable.
• Store discounts help. If a retailer's sale or discount brings a qualifying item's price under $100, it becomes eligible for the exemption.

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What Qualifies: Clothing & Footwear

Most everyday clothing and shoes priced under $100 are tax-free. Think of the ordinary items people wear day to day:

• Shirts, pants, jeans, dresses, skirts, shorts
• Coats, jackets, sweaters, hoodies
• Underwear, socks, pajamas, robes
• Shoes, sneakers, boots, sandals, athletic shoes (everyday wear)
• Belts (without buckles counted separately), caps and hats, gloves (everyday)
• Diapers (adult and baby), baby clothes
• Uniforms (school and work)
• Cloth and disposable fabric face masks — these count as an article of clothing and qualify

If it's a normal, everyday piece of clothing or footwear and it's under $100, it's almost certainly covered.

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What Qualifies: School Supplies

A wide range of school supplies priced under $100 are exempt. The Comptroller's qualifying list includes items like:

• Binders, folders, and pocket folders
• Notebooks, composition books, and writing tablets
• Loose-leaf, copy, construction, and poster paper
• Pens, pencils, and pencil boxes
• Crayons, markers, and highlighters
• Erasers and glue, paste, and glue sticks
• Scissors, rulers, protractors, and compasses
• Calculators
• Index cards and index card boxes
• Blackboard chalk and cellophane/masking tape
• Lunch boxes

For most shoppers, no exemption certificate is required. (Businesses buying school supplies in large quantities are the exception and may need to provide one.)

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What Qualifies: Backpacks

Backpacks priced under $100 are tax-free when they're for use by elementary and secondary school students — this includes standard backpacks and messenger-style bags used as backpacks. You can buy up to 10 backpacks tax-free in one purchase without giving the seller an exemption certificate.

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What Does NOT Qualify (The Gotchas)

This is where shoppers get tripped up. The following are taxable, even during the holiday:

• Anything priced $100 or more. No partial exemption — if a single item hits $100, you pay tax on the whole thing.
• Specialty athletic or protective gear primarily designed for a specific activity and not normally worn otherwise — cleats, football pads, shin guards, baseball gloves, ski boots, and industrial or medical-grade protective masks.
• Accessories — jewelry, watches, handbags, purses, briefcases, luggage, umbrellas, wallets, and (in most cases) similar items.
• Computers, software, and textbooks. Unlike some states' holidays, the Texas exemption does not cover these.
• Sporting and athletic equipment — think helmets, gloves for sports, cleats, and similar gear.
• Materials to make or repair clothing — fabric, thread, yarn, buttons, zippers, and the like.
• Services — clothing alterations, cleaning, or rentals.

When in doubt, check the Comptroller's official list at comptroller.texas.gov before you buy.

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Shopping Online, By Phone, or By Mail

Good news for online shoppers: internet, catalog, phone, and mail orders qualify — but timing is everything, and it's based on when you pay, not when it ships.

A purchase qualifies if you order and pay for the item during the holiday window (or if it's both paid for and delivered during the window). So if you enter your credit card and complete payment on a qualifying item by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 9, it's tax-free — even if the item doesn't ship until the following week and arrives days later.

One caution: if your payment is declined and you resubmit it after the deadline, the purchase becomes taxable. Make sure your payment clears before midnight Sunday.

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Layaway Purchases

Layaway is covered too. A qualifying item works either way: you can place an item on layaway during the holiday, or make the final payment during the holiday on something you put on layaway earlier — as long as that individual item's price is under $100.

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What If You're Charged Tax by Mistake?

It happens — a register rings up tax on an item that should have been exempt. You have options:

1. Ask the retailer for a refund of the tax you paid on the qualifying item.
2. If the retailer won't refund it, you can file Form 00-985, Assignment of Right to Refund, with the Texas Comptroller's office to claim it directly.

Keep your receipts — they're your proof.

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Smart Shopping Tips to Maximize the Weekend

• Make a list first. Pull your kids' school supply lists and inventory what clothing and shoes they actually need before you shop, so you buy with purpose.
• Stack the savings. The tax exemption stacks on top of store sales, clearance, and retailer coupons. Hitting back-to-school sales during tax-free weekend is where the real value is.
• Mind the $100 line. For big-ticket items like a nice pair of shoes or a winter coat, watch that price tag — staying under $100 (including shipping) is the whole game.
• Shop early for selection. Popular sizes and items sell out over the weekend. Friday morning beats Sunday afternoon.
• Don't forget the adults. The exemption isn't just for kids — most everyday clothing and footwear for the whole family qualifies. It's a great time to restock basics.
• Buy in multiples. There's no cap on quantity, so if socks, underwear, or uniform pieces are under $100 each, stock up.

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A Note for DFW Families

Back-to-school season is one of the busiest times of year across the Metroplex, and tax-free weekend kicks it off. Whether your kids are heading into Frisco ISD, Plano, Prosper, Arlington, HEB, or any of the dozens of great districts across North Texas, this weekend is a smart moment to knock out the shopping list and keep a little more money in your pocket.

And if your family recently moved — or is thinking about it — settling into a new home and a new school year at the same time is a lot. That's the kind of transition I help families navigate all the time, so never hesitate to reach out.

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The Bottom Line

Texas Tax-Free Weekend 2026 runs Friday, August 7 through midnight Sunday, August 9. Skip the sales tax on most clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks under $100 per item, save roughly $8 on every $100, and remember the fine print: the $100 limit is per item and includes shipping, online orders count based on payment date, and big-ticket, athletic, and accessory items are generally still taxable. Make your list, stack it with store sales, and shop early. Happy saving, Texas!