Back-to-school sales tax holidays this weekend

TEXARKANA -- Shoppers in Arkansas and Texas can stock up on school supplies and more without paying sales tax this weekend.

Texas' annual sales tax holiday begins Friday and Arkansas' on Saturday. Both end at midnight Sunday. Buyers can save money on a wide range of clothing, footwear, school and art supplies, backpacks, instructional materials, and electronic devices.

Specifics for both states follow.

ARKANSAS

"All retailers are required to participate and may not charge tax on items that are legally tax-exempt during the Sales Tax Holiday," according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.

Clothing items exempted from sales tax in Arkansas will include the following. Items priced $100 or more will remain taxable:

Aprons, household and shop

Athletic supporters

Baby receiving blankets

Bathing suits and caps

Beach capes and coats

Belts and suspenders

Boots

Coats and jackets

Costumes

Diapers, including disposables

Earmuffs

Footlets

Formal wear

Garters and garter belts

Girdles

Gloves and mittens for general use

Hats and caps

Hosiery

Insoles for shoes

Lab coats

Neckties

Overshoes

Pantyhose

Rainwear

Rubber pants

Sandals

Scarves

Shoes and shoe laces

Slippers

Sneakers

Socks and stockings

Steel toed shoes

Underwear

Uniforms, athletic and non-athletic

Wedding apparel

Clothing accessory or equipment items exempted from sales tax in Arkansas will include the following. Items priced $50 or more will remain taxable:

Briefcases

Cosmetics

Hair notions, including barrettes, hair bows and hair nets

Handbags

Handkerchiefs

Jewelry

Sun glasses, non-prescription

Umbrellas

Wallets

Watches

Wigs and hair pieces

Electronic devices exempted from sales tax in Arkansas will include:

Calculators

Cellular phones

Computer monitors

Computer mouses

Computer keyboards

Desktop computers

E-readers

Laptop computers

Printers

Tablets

School supplies exempted from sales tax in Arkansas will include:

Binders

Book bags

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

Notebooks

Pencil boxes and other school supply boxes

Pencil sharpeners

Paper -- loose leaf ruled notebook paper, copy paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper, poster board and construction paper

Pencils

Pens

Protractors

Rulers

Scissors

Writing tablets

School art supplies exempted from sales tax in Arkansas will include:

Clay and glazes

Paints -- acrylic, tempora and oil

Paintbrushes for artwork

Sketch and drawing pads

Watercolors

School instructional materials exempted from sales tax in Arkansas will include:

Reference books

Reference maps and globes

Textbooks

Workbooks

TEXAS

"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, you do not need to give the seller an exemption certificate to buy qualifying items tax free," according to the Texas comptroller's website.

Items priced $100 or more will remain taxable.

Clothing items exempted from sales tax in Texas will include:

Adult diapers

Aprons (household)

Athletic socks

Baby bibs

Baby clothes

Baby diapers (cloth or disposable)

Backpacks (for use by elementary/secondary students)

BASEBALL ACCESSORIES

• Baseball caps

• Baseball jerseys

Belts with attached buckles

Blouses

BOOTS (GENERAL PURPOSE)

• Cowboy

• Hiking

Bow ties

Bowling shirts

Bras

Camp clothes

Caps (baseball, fishing, golf)

Chef uniforms

Children's novelty costumes

Clerical vestments

Coats and wraps

Coveralls

Diapers (cloth and disposable)

Dresses

Earmuffs (cold weather)

Employee uniforms (unless rented)

Fishing caps

Fishing vests (non-flotation)

FOOTBALL ACCESSORIES

• Football jerseys

GLOVES (GENERALLY)

• Dress (unless rented)

• Leather

GOLF ACCESSORIES

• Golf caps

• Golf dresses

• Golf jackets and windbreakers

• Golf shirts

• Golf skirts

Graduation caps and gowns

Gym suits and uniforms

Hats

Hooded shirts and hooded sweatshirts

Hosiery, including support hosiery

Hunting vests

Jackets

Jeans

Jogging apparel

Knitted caps or hats

Leg warmers

Leotards and tights

Masks, costume

Masks, cloth and disposable fabric

Neckwear and ties

Nightgowns and nightshirts

Painter pants

Pajamas

Pants

Panty hose

Raincoats and ponchos

Rain hats

Religious clothing

Robes

SAFETY ACCESSORIES

• Safety shoes (adaptable for street wear)

Scarves

Scout uniforms

Shawls and wraps

Shirts

Shirts (hooded)

SHOES (GENERALLY)

• Boat

• Cross trainers

• Dress

• Flip-flops (rubber thongs)

• Jellies

• Running (without cleats)

• Safety (suitable for everyday use)

• Sandals

• Slippers

• Sneakers and tennis

• Tennis

• Walking

Shorts

Skirts

Sleepwear, nightgowns, pajamas

Slippers

Slips

Soccer socks

Socks

Suits, slacks, and jackets

Support hosiery

Suspenders

Sweatshirts

Sweat suits

Sweaters

Swimsuits

TENNIS ACCESSORIES

• Tennis dresses

• Tennis shorts

• Tennis shoes

• Tennis skirts

Ties (neckties, all)

Tights

Trousers

Underclothes

Underpants

Undershirts

Uniforms (school, work, nurse, waitress, military, postal, police, fire)

Veils

VESTS (GENERALLY)

• Fishing (non-flotation)

• Hunting

Work clothes

Work uniforms

Workout clothes

School supplies exempted from sales tax in Texas will include: