Tax free weekend 2014 is coming up for most of us, starting August 8th if you are in Texas! It is hard to get excited about a sale where you are saving 8.25% BUT the sales that they run on top of that are killer! It used to be that Tax Free Weekend only applied to in store purchases, this year Walmart.com is also going to honor the tax free weekend for people in the states that have tax free weekends online.

The tax free weekend for general merchandise purchased in Texas is scheduled for August 8 -10th, 2014 and applies to the following items:

Clothing and footwear under $100
School supplies under $100
Backpacks under $100 for elementary and secondary students
Includes layaway items

Keep in mind, too, that not all general merchandise items are included in the sales tax holiday. For example, cowboy boots and climbing boots are tax-free, but ski boots are still taxed during Texas’ tax free weekend. In fact, many sporting goods are not included in the sales tax holiday at all in Texas, like cleats, football pads, and protective helmets, so make sure that you read Texas’ Sales Tax Holiday web page before heading out to the mall.

States Offering a Tax Free Weekend (or Week) in 2014:

Alabama
Arkansas
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Iowa
Louisiana
Maryland
Mississippi
Missouri
New Mexico
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia

TIPS ON HOW TO SPEND $20 OR LESS ON BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES

There are two separate lists of items that qualify for TAX FREE status. The first one is the list of qualifying clothing, footwear and other items. The second list is the School Supplies. The (T) means taxable and the (E) means exempt

A

Accessories (generally) (T)
Adult diapers (E)
Alterations (T)
Aprons (household) (E)
Aprons (welders) (T)
Athletic socks (E)

B

Baby bibs (E)
Baby clothes (E)
Baby diapers (cloth or disposable) (E)
Backpacks (unless for use by elementary/secondary students) (T)
Baseball accessories
Bathing caps (T)
Belt buckles (T)
Belts with attached buckles (E)
Belts for weight lifting (T)
Bicycle shoes (cleated) (T)
Blouses (E)
Boots (general purpose) (E)
Bow ties (E)
Bowling shirts (E)
Bowling shoes (rented and sold) (T)
Bras (E)
Buttons and zippers (T)

C

Camp clothes (E)
Caps (baseball, fishing, golf) (E)
Chef uniforms (E)
Children’s novelty costumes (E)
Chest protectors (T)
Clerical vestments (E)
Cloth and lace, knitting yarns, and other fabrics (T)
Clothing repair items, such as thread, buttons, tapes, and iron-on patches (T)
Coats and wraps (E)
Corsages and boutonnieres (T)
Coveralls (E)

D

Diapers (cloth and disposable) (E)
Dresses (E)
Dry cleaning services (T)

E

Elbow pads (T)
Embroider (T)
Employee uniforms (unless rented) (E)

F

Fabrics, thread, buttons, lace, patterns, knitting yarns (T)
Fins (swim) (T)
Fishing boots (waders) (T)
Fishing caps (E)
Fishing vests (non-flotation) (E)
Football accessories

G

Gloves (generally) (E)
Goggles (T)
Golf accessories
Graduation caps and gowns (E)
Gym suits and uniforms (E)

H

Hair nets, bows, clips, and barrettes (T)
Handbags and purses (T)
Handkerchiefs (T)
Hard hats (T)
Hats (E)
Headbands (T)
Helmets (bike, baseball, football, hockey, motorcycle, sports) (T)
Hockey gloves (T)
Hooded shirts and hooded sweatshirts (E)
Hosiery, including support hosiery (E)
Hunting vests (E)

I-J

Ice skates (T)
Insoles (T)
Jackets (E)
Jeans (E)
Jewelry (T)
Jogging apparel (E)

K

Knee pads (T)
Knitted caps or hats (E)

L

Laundering services (T)
Leg warmers (E)
Leotards and tights (E)
Life jackets and vests (T)
Luggage (T)

M

Mask, costume (E)
Mask, protective – welder, umpire, swim (T)
Monogramming (T)

N

Neckwear and ties (E)
Nightgowns and nightshirts (E)

O-P

Overshoes and rubber shoes (T)
Pads (football, hockey, soccer, elbow, knee, shoulder) (T)
Paint or dust respirators and incidental supplies (T)
Painter pants (E)
Pajamas (E)
Pants (E)
Panty hose (E)
Patterns (T)
Personal flotation devices (T)
Pocket squares (T)
Protective gloves (T)
Protective masks (T)

R

Raincoats and ponchos (E)
Rain hats (E)
Religious clothing (E)
Rented clothing (including uniforms, formal wear, and costumes) (T)
Repair of clothing or footwear (T)
Ribbons (T)
Robes (E)
Roller blades (T)
Roller skates (T)

S

Safety accessories
Scarves (E)
Scout uniforms (E)
Sewing patterns (T)
Shawls and wraps (E)
Shin guards and padding (T)
Shirts (E)
Shirts (hooded) (E)
Shoe inserts (T)
Shoelaces (T)
Shoes (generally) (E)
Shoe shines (T)
Shoe repairs (T)
Shoulder pads (for dresses, jackets, etc.) (T)
Shoulder pads (football, hockey, sports) (T)
Shorts (E)
Shower caps (T)
Skates (ice and roller) (T)
Ski boots (snow) (T)
Ski suits (snow) (T)
Ski vests (water) (T)
Skirts (E)
Sleepwear, nightgowns, pajamas (E)
Slippers (E)
Slips (E)
Soccer socks (E)
Socks (E)
Sports helmets (T)
Sports pads (football, hockey, soccer, knee, elbow, shoulder) (T)
Suits, slacks, and jackets (E)
Sunglasses (except prescription) (T)
Support hosiery (E)
Suspenders (E)
Sweatbands (arm, wrist, head) (T)
Sweatshirts (E)
Sweat suits (E)
Sweaters (E)
Swimming masks and goggles (T)
Swimsuits (E)

T

Tennis accessories
Ties (neckties – all) (E)
Tights (E)
Track shoes and cleats (T)
Trousers (E)

U

Umbrellas (T)
Underclothes (E)
Underpants (E)
Undershirts (E)
Uniforms (school, work, nurse, waitress, military, postal, police, fire) (E)

V-W

Veils (E)
Vests (generally) (E)
Wallets (T)
Watch bands (T)
Watches (T)
Water ski vests (T)
Weight lifting belts (T)
Wet and dry suits (T)
Work clothes (E)
Work uniforms (E)
Workout clothes (E)
Wrist bands (T)

This list does not include all items that may qualify for exemption during the sales tax holiday. It provides examples only.

Sales Tax Holiday

All-inclusive list of qualifying school supplies (if priced less than $100)

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

CLICK HERE TO SEE YOUR STATES DATES

Taxed: Taxable items tend to be the more specialized, less necessary items of clothing such as jewelry, hair accessories, purses, football pants and golf gloves. Regular shoes (sandals, slippers, sneakers) are exempt, but cleated shoes, fishing boots and ballet slippers are not. A more complete list of exempt and non-exempt items can be found on the state of Texas website.

I know that lots of schools have gone to wearing School Uniform, not my kid’s school but sometimes I wish they did. I can just imagine the mornings we could have!!! Everyone wakes up for school smiling, the birds are singing, no one is fighting over time in the bathroom and all of a sudden we see a deer and other wild life animals helping everyone get ready for their day.

OK so we might not have the fairy-tale morning like Snow White just because of School Uniforms but at least they would all know what they are wearing and that would be one less things to worry about.

Amazon has great selection of School Uniform with different styles, colors and brands to meet your Back to school needs at some great prices.

Dickies Girls 7-16 Faux Wrap Skort School Uniform from only $11.35

Genuine School Uniform Girls Navy Belted Uniform Skort as low as $8.50

Dickies Boys 2-7 Flat Front Pant – School Uniform only $13.68

Dickies Boys 8-20 School-Uniform Short starting from $8.80

French Toast Boy’s Short Sleeve Polo from $4.49

These are just a few of the items available, check out additional great deals for School Uniform.

Be sure to check out all I Heart The Mart’s Back to School Deals.

For a Complete list of Walmart Back To School Supplies

NOTE: Amazon Prices can change without notice.