ROUND ROCK, Texas — In 1999, Texas lawmakers decided that there would be one weekend every year where certain back-to-school items would be exempt from sales taxes, to give parents a little break with costs.
"They said, ‘Hey, you know, every year it's back-to-school and so let's give Texans a break on the items they purchase for back-to-school holidays,’” said Kevin Lyons, a spokesperson for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
The sales tax exemption holiday is estimated to save Texans about $8 for every $100 spent. The Texas Comptroller Office is estimating that Texans will save $136 million this upcoming holiday in state and local sales tax.
Over the course of almost 25 years, the tax free weekend is estimated to have saved Texans more than $1 billion.
“Every dollar counts,” Lyons said. “The comptroller always talks about how important it is to stretch every dollar, and I think this is the kind of weekend that helps you do that and helps you really make good on saving that money for the family pocketbook.”
The holiday always falls on the second week of August, with this year's falling on Aug. 11-13. But with some school districts starting earlier this year, that's making it more difficult for some families to save.
Tami Johnson, whose two sons start school on Aug. 8, said by the time the tax holiday rolls around, she has already finished most of their back-to-school shopping.
“It would be nice if it were earlier in the summer, honestly, because, again, if you wait until the last minute, you may or may not find what you need,” Johnson said.
School supplies aren’t the only things on the list of sales tax-exempt items during the holiday. There is also a large list of clothing and footwear, including aprons, pajamas and even cowboy boots that Texans can save on.
“We know some folks have already started school by the time the sales tax holiday begins, and so, you know, we encourage folks to still try to take advantage of the holiday and pick up the things you couldn't buy when you went the first time,” Lyons said.
During the sales tax holiday, items can be purchased sales tax-free online, by telephone, mail, custom order or in store. If you think you have been wrongly charged a sales tax, you can fill out a form on the Texas Comptroller website and it will work to fix any potential issue.