Every August, Texas gives shoppers a weekend to buy back-to-school essentials without paying any state or local sales tax. For a state where the combined sales tax rate hits 8.25 percent in most major cities, this three-day window can mean real savings, especially for families outfitting multiple kids for the school year. Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 Texas Tax-Free Weekend, including exact dates, qualifying items, price limits, and the rules that trip people up.
2026 Texas Tax-Free Weekend Dates
The 2026 Texas Sales Tax Holiday runs from Friday, August 7 through midnight Sunday, August 9. During this three-day period, qualifying items are exempt from both the 6.25 percent state sales tax and all local sales taxes. The holiday starts at 12:01 a.m. on Friday and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.
Texas has held this annual sales tax holiday every year since 1999. The dates and the list of eligible items are set by the Texas Legislature, and the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts oversees the event. In 2026, Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock estimated that Texas families would save approximately $142.5 million in combined state and local sales taxes during the weekend. Since the program began, total savings have exceeded $2 billion.
What Items Qualify for Tax-Free Shopping
Three main categories of products are eligible for the sales tax exemption during the holiday weekend.
Clothing and footwear priced under $100 per item make up the largest category. This includes everyday items like t-shirts, jeans, dresses, jackets, socks, underwear, pajamas, work uniforms, and baby clothes. Shoes, sandals, sneakers, and boots designed for everyday wear also qualify as long as each item is priced below the $100 threshold.
School supplies priced under $100 per item are also exempt. The Texas Comptroller publishes a detailed list each year that includes binders, book bags, calculators, cellophane tape, blackboard chalk, compasses, composition books, crayons, erasers, folders, glue, rulers, scissors, protractors, pencils, pens, markers, index cards, legal pads, lunch boxes, notebooks, paper, pencil sharpeners, and construction paper.
Backpacks priced under $100 sold for use by elementary and secondary school students qualify as well. This includes standard backpacks, messenger bags, and similar bags marketed for student use. There is no limit on the number of qualifying items you can purchase as long as each individual item is priced under $100.
Additionally, diapers, both cloth and disposable, are exempt from sales tax in Texas. Certain sanitizers and wipes that carry a drug facts label on their packaging are exempt year-round, not just during the holiday weekend.
What Does NOT Qualify
Several categories of items that people often assume are included are actually excluded from the sales tax holiday.
Jewelry, handbags, purses, briefcases, luggage, umbrellas, wallets, and watches are not exempt even if they cost less than $100. These are classified as accessories rather than clothing under Texas law.
Items used to make or repair clothing, such as fabric, thread, yarn, buttons, snaps, hooks, and zippers, are also excluded. These materials are not themselves articles of clothing.
Athletic clothing or footwear that is primarily designed for athletic activity or protective use does not qualify either. Cleats, baseball gloves, football pads, and similar sport-specific gear are excluded because they are not considered everyday clothing. However, athletic shoes designed for general use, like running sneakers worn as everyday footwear, do qualify.
Clothing or footwear that costs $100 or more per item does not qualify at all. There is no partial exemption. A $110 pair of shoes is fully taxable during the holiday weekend, and a $99 pair is fully exempt.
The $100 Price Rule and How Shipping Affects It
The $100 threshold applies to the item’s total sales price, including delivery, shipping, handling, and transportation charges. This catches many online shoppers off guard.
For example, if you buy a pair of jeans priced at $95 and pay $10 for shipping, the total for that item is $105. Because the total exceeds $100, the entire $105 is taxable, including the base price of the jeans. The $100 limit is per item, not per transaction, so you can buy ten separate $90 items and all ten qualify individually.
When an order includes both qualifying and non-qualifying items, shipping charges get allocated. If shipping is billed per item, only the shipping on the qualifying items counts toward those items’ totals. If a single flat shipping fee covers the whole order, it gets proportionally allocated to each item based on its sales price.
Online, Mail, and Phone Orders
The tax-free exemption applies whether you shop in a Texas store, online, by telephone, or through a catalog. The key timing rule is that the purchase must be completed during the holiday window. For online and phone orders, the purchase date is based on when payment is submitted, not when the item ships or when it arrives at your door.
If you enter your credit card information at 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 9, the purchase qualifies for the exemption even if the item does not ship until August 14 and does not arrive until August 18. However, if your card is declined on Sunday night and you do not resubmit payment until Monday, August 10, the purchase is fully taxable because payment was finalized outside the holiday window.
For qualifying items purchased from online retailers doing business in Texas, no exemption certificate is required in most cases. The retailer should automatically remove sales tax on eligible items during the holiday period.
How Much You Actually Save
At the maximum combined sales tax rate of 8.25 percent that most Texas cities charge, you save about $8.25 for every $100 you spend on qualifying items. For a family buying school clothes and supplies for two or three children, that can easily add up to $50 to $100 in savings over the weekend.
Here are a few real-world examples. Five pairs of jeans at $35 each totals $175 in merchandise. At 8.25 percent, you would normally pay $14.44 in sales tax. During the tax-free weekend, that entire $14.44 stays in your pocket. Three backpacks at $45 each totals $135 in merchandise. The normal sales tax would be $11.14. Ten packs of school supplies at $8 each totals $80 in merchandise with $6.60 in tax savings.
The savings are modest per item, but they compound quickly across a full back-to-school shopping trip. Families in lower-income brackets, who spend a higher percentage of their income on essential clothing and supplies, see the most proportional benefit.
Tips to Maximize Your Savings
Start by making a list of everything you need before the weekend begins. Check each item’s price including any shipping charges to make sure it stays under $100. If an item is priced at $98 and shipping adds $5, it will not qualify.
Consider buying items that are close to the $100 threshold separately from items with high shipping costs. Some retailers offer free shipping during the tax-free weekend specifically to help customers stay under the limit.
Buy items you know you will need later in the year, not just immediate back-to-school essentials. Winter coats, work boots, and everyday clothing all qualify as long as they are under $100 per item. The exemption is not limited to school-related items despite the back-to-school branding.
If you accidentally pay sales tax on a qualifying item during the holiday weekend, you can ask the seller for a refund of the tax paid. Retailers are required to honor this request.
Beyond the Sales Tax Holiday
Understanding how Texas sales tax works year-round is equally important. Texas has no state income tax, which means the state depends heavily on sales tax and property tax revenue. The annual tax-free weekend is one of the few direct breaks consumers get from this system, so taking full advantage of it is worth the planning effort.
For business owners who need to stop collecting sales tax on qualifying items during the holiday, the Texas Comptroller’s website has a complete list of eligible items and detailed guidance on how to handle mixed transactions, layaway sales, and exchanges. Make sure your point-of-sale system is configured to remove tax on qualifying items automatically for the holiday period.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Texas Tax-Free Weekend in 2026?
The 2026 Texas Sales Tax Holiday runs from Friday, August 7 through midnight Sunday, August 9. Qualifying items purchased during this three-day window are exempt from all state and local sales tax.
Is there a limit on how many items I can buy tax-free?
No. There is no limit on the number of qualifying items you can purchase. The only requirement is that each individual item must be priced under $100, including shipping and handling charges.
Do online purchases qualify for the Texas tax-free weekend?
Yes. Online purchases qualify as long as payment is submitted during the holiday window (August 7 through midnight August 9). The payment date determines eligibility, not the shipping or delivery date.
Are electronics or computers included in the tax-free weekend?
No. Electronics, computers, tablets, and smartphones are not included in the Texas back-to-school sales tax holiday. Only clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks under $100 qualify.
What if I bought something during tax-free weekend and it cost more than $100 with shipping?
If the total price of an item including shipping exceeds $100, the entire amount is taxable. The $100 threshold includes delivery, shipping, handling, and any other transportation charges added to the item’s price.