One of Texas’s most well-known weekends, tax-free weekend, is coming up. This year’s sales tax holiday begins Friday, August 6, and goes through midnight Sunday, August 8.

For full details, visit the Texas Comptroller’s website at comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/98-490. 

Here are some important highlights:

• With COVID-19 numbers surging in many areas of Texas, the comptroller is encouraging all taxpayers to continue following virus mitigation strategies recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) while shopping.
• The sales tax exemption applies only to qualifying items bought during the sales tax holiday. Items purchased before or after the sales tax holiday do not qualify for exemption, and there is no tax refund available.
• To see a full list of qualifying items, visit comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/98-490 and look for the heading “Qualifying Items.”
• Qualifying items can be purchased tax free from a Texas store or from an online or catalog seller doing business in Texas. In most cases, consumers do not need to give the seller an exemption certificate to buy qualifying items tax free.
• Per the Texas Comptroller’s office, during the tax-free weekend taxpayers can buy qualifying items online or by telephone, mail, custom order, or any other means (including in-store purchases) tax free, when either:
  • The item is both delivered, and paid for, by the customer during the exemption; or
  • The customer orders and pays for the item, and the seller accepts the order during the exemption period for immediate shipment, even if delivery is made after the exemption period ends.

Don’t forget that as an ATPE member, you have access to exclusive discounts to help you save even more. Log in to your ATPE account and visit atpe.org/discounts to check out the deals.

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• Stock up on school supplies with discounts of up to 80% on more than 93,000 products at Office Depot and OfficeMax.

Not an ATPE member? Join the state’s largest community of educators today.