Texas Starts 3-Day Tax-Free Weekend on School Items Under $100

Q: Could hidden online shipping fees secretly disqualify your Texas tax-free weekend purchases and cost you extra?

Yes. In Texas, online shipping, delivery, handling and transportation charges are treated as part of an item’s sales price during the tax-free weekend, so they can push a purchase over the $100 limit and make it taxable. That means a qualifying item is only tax-free if the total price tied to that item stays under $100. A common example from state guidance: jeans priced at $95 with a $10 delivery charge total $105, so the exemption is lost and sales tax applies. The rule matters most for online, phone and mail orders, which otherwise can qualify for the holiday if they are ordered and paid for during the exemption period and meet the timing rules for shipment or delivery. The $100 threshold generally applies per item, not per order, and there is no overall limit on how many qualifying items a shopper can buy. How shipping is assigned also matters. If shipping is billed per item, the charge attached to that item counts toward its price. If a seller charges one flat fee for the whole package, Texas guidance says that fee can be applied to a single item in the package, which can affect whether that item stays under the cap. Shoppers who want to avoid surprises should check the final checkout total for each eligible item, not just the sticker price. If tax is charged by mistake on a qualifying purchase, buyers can ask the retailer for a refund or file a claim with the Texas Comptroller.

3 articles · Updated · KWTX · Aug 7

Friday through Sunday night, Texas is waiving sales tax on most clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks priced below $100 during its annual back-to-school shopping weekend.
The exemption applies only to qualifying school supplies on the state's list, including notebooks, binders, calculators, crayons, pencils, scissors and lunch boxes, as long as each item costs under $100.
The holiday is aimed at cutting back-to-school costs for families still buying classroom basics and new school clothes before the academic year begins.