This weekend Texas shoppers get a break from state and local sales taxes on Aug. 17, 18 and 19 – the state's annual tax holiday. As in previous years, the law exempts most clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks priced under $100 from sales and use taxes, which could save shoppers about $8 on every $100 they spend. 

Expect to find tax free deals and extended shopping hours...

Katy Mills

Retailers are slashing prices for back-to-school savings at Katy Mills, which will extend its hours to 9 a.m.- 9 p.m. today and Saturday. Regular mall hours will remain on 11 a.m – 6 p.m. Sunday. Katy Mills is located at 5000 Katy Mills Circle in Katy.

Memorial City Mall

Memorial City Mall, at 900 Gessner Road, will be open 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. today and Saturday, and 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sunday. Hours for individual retailers may vary.

The Galleria Houston and Neiman Marcus

The Galleria has extended tax-free shopping hours to 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday. The mall also also host Model for a Day at 2 p.m. Saturday, in which aspiring models ages 18 and older can strut their stuff for the chance to model during Simon Fashion Now™ presented by

Cadillac taking place at The Galleria Sept. 9-11. Contestants are invited to walk for a panel of judges. And at Neiman Marcus, the store is slashing 65 percent to 75 percent off sale itmes by an extra 30 percent Friday through Sunday.

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School supplies

Via Flickr

[(T) = Taxable; (E) = Exempt]

 List of Tax free items from A to Z....

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)

 For more, click here

And lastly School Supply Deals:

Houston on the Cheap

Southern Savers