Texas' back-to-school sales tax holiday runs this weekend

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TEXAS (KXAN) — Texans looking to buy back-to-school supplies this weekend can save a little extra cash, as the state celebrates its sales tax holiday Friday through Sunday.

Texas traditionally adds a 6.25% state sales and use tax on all retail sales, leases and rentals as well as taxable services, per the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. This weekend, many clothing items, footwear, school supplies and backpacks retailed under $100 will be sales tax-exempt when purchased at a Texas store or "from an online or catalog seller doing business in Texas," according to the Texas Comptroller.

A list of qualifying clothing and footwear items are listed online. Face masks are also sales tax-free, as well as backpacks sold for under $100. The following school supplies will also be recognized as sales tax-free during the holiday weekend:

• Binders
• Blackboard chalk
• Book bags
• Calculators
• Cellophane tape
• Compasses
• Composition books
• Crayons
• Erasers
• Folders (expandable, pocket, plastic and manila)
• Glue, paste and paste sticks
• Highlighters
• Index cards
• Index card boxes
• Kits (taxability of kits depend "on the value of exempt or taxable items in it," per the Comptroller, with more details online)
• Legal pads
• Lunch boxes
• Markers, including dry erase ones
• Notebooks
• Paper (loose leaf ruled notebook paper, copy paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper, poster board and construction paper)
• Pencil boxes, other school supply boxes
• Pencil sharpeners
• Pencils
• Pens
• Protractors
• Rulers
• Scissors
• Writing tablets

Those purchasing items online need to factor in delivery, shipping, handling and transportation charges to accurately determine if they'll receive the product sales tax-free. All of those charges are incorporated into the item's sales price. Those who purchase a qualifying item during the sales tax holiday and pay sales tax on it can request a refund by completing a refund claim form with the Comptroller's office.

The State of Texas hosts four sales tax holidays each year: emergency preparation supplies in April, Texas EnergyStar and water-efficient products on Memorial Day Weekend and the back-to-school sale in August.