Forget Winter...Tax Free Weekend is Coming!

W are about 2 weeks away from the annual Texas sales tax holiday. This year the tax-free weekend will run from August 11th-13th

You might be wondering why the tax holiday is starting earlier than usual; it’s because many school districts have already started and others will soon follow.

The annual Texas Sales tax holiday is on its way and families are getting ready to shop for back-to-school items and supplies. This is also a chance for retailers to stir up traffic before summer ends.

According to the law, retailers aren't required to collect state and local sales or use tax on most clothing and footwear that are sold for less than $100 during tax-free weekend.

The sales tax exemption for Texas also includes items sold online, or by telephone or mail. Shoppers can use layaway plans to also get the tax break.

Not included in the tax break are jewelry, handbags, luggage, wallets, watches, Apple iPhones, and new sports equipment.

To make the most out of tax-free weekend this year, here are a few recommendations for shoppers
:
* Make a shopping list. Even if there’s not a school supply list yet, people can still purchase other items like school clothing and in-class school essentials like pens, notebooks, and backpacks.

*Make a list for each child. This will allow you to get through your list more quickly and easily.

* Create a budget. Do a price search online for the items on the list and add them all up.

* Clip online coupons, and make note of the discount.

* Monitor pricing EARLY. This is key to finding good deals on quality products.

* Take advantage of discounts. Many stores offer student and teacher discounts on hot items like laptops and uniforms.

* Check the refund and exchange policies. Be sure you can exchange or return items that are purchased during this time.

And most importantly:

* Know the difference between “Back-to-School Sale” and tax-free items. Retail stores may advertise back-to-school sales because they know consumers are buying items for the upcoming school year. Certain discounts will still have taxes applied to them unless the item qualifies.

The Texas Comptroller of Public Affairs has a “fine print” of the items included in the sale. The specifications can be found at the Texas Comptroller’s website.

The Texas tax break weekend that has been an annual event since 1999, will start on August 11th and end on August 13th.
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(Helpful information taken from KRISTV.com - Thank You!)