Arkansas' back-to-school sales tax holiday is this weekend, and Texas' version follows a week later.
Both annual events promise to save consumers money on certain clothing and school supplies.
On Saturday and Sunday, Arkansas will waive sales tax on many items typically purchased for children about to start a new school year. Adults can take advantage of the savings, as well.
Arkansas will exempt from sales tax clothing and footwear priced less than $100; clothing accessories and equipment priced less than $50; school supplies; school art supplies; and school instructional materials.
During Texas' sales tax holiday Aug. 9-11, consumers can buy most clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks sold for less than $100 tax free from a Texas store or from an online or catalog seller doing business in Texas.
The sales tax exemption applies only to qualifying items bought during the sales tax holiday. Items bought before or after the sales tax holiday do not qualify for exemption, and there is no tax refund available.
For more information, visit the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration's website at dfa.arkansas.gov or the Texas Comptroller's website at comptroller.texas.gov.
Exempt Items
Items exempt from sales tax during holiday:
ARKANSAS, AUG. 3-4, 2019
Clothing, less than $100 per item
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 nonathletic
Wedding apparel
Clothing accessory or equipment, less than $50 per item
Briefcases
Cosmetics
Hair notions, including barrettes, hair bows and hair nets
Handbags
Handkerchiefs
Jewelry
Sunglasses, nonprescription
Umbrellas
Wallets
Watches
Wigs and hairpieces
School supplies
Binders
Book bags
Calculators
Cellophane tape
Blackboard chalk
Compasses
Composition books
Crayons
Erasers
Folders - expandable, pocket, plastic and manila supply boxes
Glue, paste and paste sticks
Highlighters
Index cards
Index card boxes
Legal pads
Lunch boxes
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
School art supply
Clay and glazes
Paints - acrylic, tempora and oil
Paintbrushes for artwork
Sketch and drawing pads
Watercolors
School instructional material
Reference books
Reference maps and globes
Textbooks
Workbooks
TEXAS, AUG. 9-11, 2019
Clothing, footwear and other items, less than $100 per item
Adult diapers
Aprons (household)
Athletic socks
Baby bibs
Baby clothes
Baby diapers (cloth or disposable)
Backpacks for use by elementary/secondary students
Baseball caps
Baseball jerseys
Belts with attached buckles
Blouses
Boots (general purpose)
Boots (cowboy)
Boots (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 (nonflotation)
Football jerseys
Gloves (generally)
Gloves (dress, unless rented)
Gloves (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
Mask, costume
Neckwear and ties
Nightgowns and nightshirts
Painter pants
Pajamas
Pants
Panty hose
Raincoats and ponchos
Rain hats
Religious clothing
Robes
Safety shoes (adaptable for street wear)
Scarves
Scout uniforms
Shawls and wraps
Shirts
Shirts (hooded)
Shoes (generally)
Shoes (boat)
Shoes (cross trainers)
Shoes (dress)
Shoes (flip-flops; rubber thongs)
Shoes (jellies)
Shoes (running, without cleats)
Shoes (safety, suitable for everyday use)
Shoes (sandals)
Shoes (slippers)
Shoes (sneakers)
Shoes (tennis)
Shoes (walking)
Shorts
Skirts
Sleepwear, nightgowns, pajamas
Slippers
Slips
Soccer socks
Socks
Suits, slacks and jackets
Support hosiery
Suspenders
Sweatshirts
Sweatsuits
Sweaters
Swimsuits
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)
Vests (fishing, nonflotation)
Vests (hunting)
Work clothes
Work uniforms
Workout clothes
School supplies
Binders
Blackboard chalk
Book bags
Calculators
Cellophane tape
Compasses
Composition books
Crayons
Erasers
Folders - expandable, pocket, plastic and manila
Glue, paste and paste sticks
Highlighters
Index cards
Index card boxes
Kits*
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
* For kits of school supplies that contain exempt items, as well as taxable ones, the taxability depends on the value of exempt or taxable items in it. There is no limit on the quantity of school supplies in a kit, but if the value of the exempt items is more than the taxable ones, the kit is exempt. If the value of the taxable items is more than the exempt ones, then the kit is taxable.
Sources: Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts