HOUSTON – Senator Rodney Ellis and Walmart are previewing Texas' Back to School Sales Tax Holiday at Walmart's brand new Galleria Supercenter with a pep rally and charitable shopping spree.
Senator Ellis, who authored the original Tax-Free Weekend Bill, and Walmart shared details on how to prepare, what is tax-free and what is not, what the holiday means for business and consumers as well as some of the great deals in Houston.
Walmart said bold prints and animated characters will be the sellout items. Crayons, glue sticks, and colored pencils will fly off the shelves. The company said some surprise items like backpacks, shoes and diapers are tax-free.
Purses, cleats and calculators over $100 are not on the tax-free list.
Westbury High School Band and Cunningham Elementary School Cheerleaders were on hand to cheer on the Back-to-School savings with in-store pep rally performances.
Walmart and Senator Ellis will then kicked off a shopping spree benefiting Westbury High School and Cunningham Elementary School. Each school was given 82.5 seconds, mirroring the 8.25% tax savings, to fill a shopping cart at Walmart with as many back-to-school items as possible. All of the items collected were donated to the two schools.
Texas' sales tax holiday, which runs from August 7 - 9, allows families to shop for clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks that are priced under $100, tax-free, so families can stretch their budget further this Back-to-School season.