Texas Tax-Free Weekend Starts Today — Clothes and School Supplies Under $100 Are Exempt Through Sunday

If you still have a school supply list sitting on the counter, this weekend is your window — and it's almost closed.

The 2026 sales tax holiday began Friday, Aug. 7, and runs through midnight Sunday, Aug. 9. Qualifying categories — clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks — are exempt from sales and use taxes when each item is priced below $100. No coupon codes, no special forms. For most purchases, shoppers can walk up to the register and buy eligible items without filling out any exemption paperwork.

The timing is tight. Argyle ISD goes back Tuesday, August 11. Lewisville ISD students start Wednesday, August 12. Today through Sunday is the last full shopping window before first-period bell.

The exemption applies to each eligible item sold for less than $100, with no limit on how many qualifying items you can buy. Two $80 backpacks both qualify even if you're spending $160 total. Wheeled backpacks and messenger bags are included. Standard school supplies — notebooks, pens, pencils, folders, calculators — are in as long as each item rings up under the threshold.

A few things that look like they should qualify don't. Texas excludes computers, software, and textbooks, along with jewelry, handbags, and gear designed specifically for athletic use like golf cleats or football pads. Everyday athletic clothing — tennis shoes, jogging suits, swimsuits — generally qualifies because those items get worn outside of athletic activities too.

One thing to watch when shopping online: delivery, shipping, handling, and transportation charges count toward the item's total sales price. Since clothing, backpacks, and school supplies have to come in under $100 to qualify, that total is what determines eligibility. A $95 shirt with a $10 shipping charge tips over the line and gets taxed in full.

Shopping from your couch still counts. Items purchased online, by phone, by mail, or through catalog orders qualify as long as payment is completed during the sales tax holiday. The item doesn't have to arrive this weekend — just pay by Sunday.

The state exemption alone is 6.25%, and local jurisdictions stack on top of that, so the actual savings in most of Flower Mound land closer to 8.25% total. On $300 in qualifying gear, that's roughly $25 back in your pocket. After Sunday, the regular rate returns — no grace period, no refunds.