TEXAS, USA — Tax-free weekend is a much-anticipated event for many parents in participating states.
Temple parent Joy Cobb says the weekend is a big relief to her wallet as prices have soared for school supplies.
"He'll be going to the fifth grade this year and it's more expensive," Cobb explained, referring to her son.
Luckily, tax-free weekend helps relieve parents who need to buy items for the upcoming school year.
"Any penny that we can save means a lot," Temple parent Augstin Avila explained.
This year’s sale tax holiday begins Friday, Aug. 11, and goes through midnight Sunday, Aug. 13.
A full list of what is and is not tax-exempt can be found here.
The exemption applies to eligible items including clothing, shoes and school supplies.
Only items less than $100 qualify. So if you're looking to avoid taxes on laptops, textbooks or computer software, that won't happen. Luggage and sports footwear also do not qualify.
But the good news is that, for all of the items that do qualify, there is no limit to what you can buy.
Jason Meza from the Better Business Bureau wants shoppers to be aware of scams when shopping online.
Fraudulent websites tend to lure in shoppers and steal their information.
"The duplication websites, the ones that look like the real deal, or even sponsored ads that entice people to come in and get something at a discount, a deep discount for one of those got-to-have items," Meza explained. "I think that's where people fall into a trap of offering money and their giving their sensitive data over."
AARP reports shoppers lost over eight billion dollars to scams online in 2022.
To avoid that, Meza says reading reviews is a great start to avoid being a victim.
"You do want to check reviews of complaints first, you do want to check if the retailer is legitimate if you're online. Also, using credit cards because credit cards are just giving you the best protection against a possible fraud," Meza shared. "That's just a good way to go."
Items bought before or after the sales tax holiday do not qualify for exemption, and there is no tax refund available.