Sales tax holiday is one month away

AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas sales tax holiday is Aug. 17-19 and shoppers gearing up for the new school year will save money on a variety of back-to-school items.

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs says the law exempts most clothing and footwear priced under $100 from sales taxes, which could save shoppers about $8 on every $100 they spend.

Backpacks used by elementary and secondary students are also exempt during the three-day weekend as long as they're priced under $100.

Texas families will get sales tax breaks on most school supplies priced at less than $100 too.

The comptroller's office says shoppers will save an estimated $64.8 million in state and local sales taxes during this year's sales tax holiday.

The tax holiday weekend has been an annual event since 1999.

Here is what qualifies, as long each item costs less than $100:

• Baby clothes
• Backpacks for use by elementary and secondary students
• Belts with attached buckles
• Boots - cowboy, hiking
• Caps/hats - baseball, fishing, golf, knitted
• Coats and wraps
• Diapers - adult and baby
• Dresses
• Gloves (generally)
• Gym suits and uniforms
• Hooded shirts and hooded sweatshirts
• Hosiery
• Jackets
• Jeans
• Jerseys - baseball and football
• Jogging apparel
• Neckwear and ties
• Pajamas
• Pants and trousers
• Raincoats and ponchos
• Robes
• Shirts
• Shoes - sandals, slippers, sneakers, tennis, walking
• Socks (including athletic)
• Shorts
• Suits, slacks, and jackets
• Sweatshirts
• Sweat suits
• Sweaters
• Swimsuits
• Underclothes
• Work clothes and uniforms
• Binders
• Book bags
• Calculators
• Cellophane tape
• Blackboard chalk
• Compasses
• Composition books
• Crayons
• Erasers
• Folders; expandable, pocket, plastic, and manila
• Glue, paste and paste sticks
• Highlighters
• Index cards
• Index card boxes
• Legal pads
• Lunch boxes
• Markers (including dry erase markers)
• Notebooks
• Paper; loose leaf ruled notebook paper, copy paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper Poster board, and construction paper
• Pencil boxes and other school supply boxes
• Pencil sharpeners
• Pencils
• Pens
• •Protractors
• Rulers
• Scissors
• Writing tablets