The sales tax rate in Humble, TX is 8.25%, the maximum allowed under Texas law. That total combines a 6.25% state sales tax, a 1.0% City of Humble tax, and a 1.0% tax for the Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO).1Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Texas Sales and Use Tax Rates – April 2026 You’ll see it added at the register on most physical goods and on a specific list of services.
How the 8.25% Is Built
The 6.25% state portion comes from the Texas Tax Code and applies statewide to retail sales of goods and taxable services.2State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 151.051 – Sales Tax Imposed On top of that, local jurisdictions can add up to 2% combined.3Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Sales and Use Tax In Humble, the city takes 1.0% under Chapter 321 of the Tax Code,4State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 321.103 – Sales Tax and METRO takes the other 1.0% to fund regional public transit.5METRO Houston. Financial Transparency – Debt Obligations Those two local pieces already fill the 2% cap, which is why the Humble rate is a flat 8.25% with no room for additional local add-ons.
What the Rate Applies To
Most tangible personal property is taxable at the full 8.25%. That covers electronics, furniture, clothing, appliances, vehicles, and even computer programs and prepaid calling cards.6State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 151.009 – Tangible Personal Property If a Humble retailer sells you a physical product, assume tax applies unless it falls into one of the exemptions below.
Services are a narrower story. Texas taxes only a specific list, not services across the board. The ones most Humble households will recognize on a bill include telecommunications (cell phone plans, landlines), cable television, laundry and dry cleaning, and repairs to tangible personal property such as motor vehicle repair.3Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Sales and Use Tax
Data processing is taxable too. If you pay to enter, store, manipulate, or retrieve data by computer, the charge is taxed at the full combined rate. Cloud-based software subscriptions (SaaS) are generally treated as taxable data processing in Texas, so a subscription billed to a Humble address will usually show the 8.25%. In bundled contracts, the Comptroller applies a 5% rule: when the taxable portion is 5% or less of the total and isn’t broken out on the invoice, no tax applies; above 5%, the whole charge becomes taxable unless the seller itemizes the taxable and nontaxable parts.7Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Data Processing Services are Taxable
What’s Exempt
Groceries
Basic grocery items meant for home preparation are exempt. Bread, milk, eggs, produce, meat, cereal, and most packaged snacks sold in standard retail packaging are all tax-free.8Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Grocery and Convenience Stores The exemption falls away for prepared food: restaurant meals, items sold heated, and products the seller has combined from multiple ingredients. Single-serving snacks (under 2.5 ounces or labeled as one serving) and anything sold through a vending machine are taxable. Bakery items sold by an actual bakery stay exempt, even when heated.
Prescription and Health Care Items
Prescription drugs are exempt, and insulin is exempt whether or not you have a prescription. Over-the-counter medicines that carry the FDA’s “Drug Facts” panel are also exempt. The exemption extends to a practical list of health supplies: blood glucose test strips, hearing aids, prosthetic devices, corrective lenses, hospital beds, wound dressings, adult and children’s diapers, and baby wipes.9State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 151.313 – Health Care Supplies
Purchases for Resale
If you’re buying inventory to resell, you can skip the tax at purchase by giving the seller a completed Texas Sales and Use Tax Resale Certificate (Form 01-339). The certificate requires your 11-digit Texas sales tax permit number, a description of what you’re buying, and your signature confirming the goods are for resale in the United States or Mexico.10Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Sales and Use Tax Resale Certificate / Exemption Certification Using the certificate to buy items you plan to keep is a criminal offense.
Online and Out-of-State Purchases
When you buy a taxable item from an online or out-of-state seller and no Texas sales tax is collected at checkout, you owe Texas use tax at the same 8.25% rate. Most large retailers and marketplace platforms like Amazon already collect it for you. When they don’t, the obligation to report and pay shifts to you as the buyer.
Weekends When the Rate Drops to Zero
Texas holds four sales tax holidays each year, and all four apply in Humble. No exemption certificate is needed.12Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Sales Tax Holidays Frequently Asked Questions
The ENERGY STAR and Water-Efficient holidays share Memorial Day weekend, so one trip can cover both. The April emergency prep weekend tends to matter most in the Houston area with hurricane season on the horizon.
If You’re Collecting the Tax
Any business selling taxable goods or services in Humble needs a Texas sales tax permit before its first sale. The permit itself is free. You can apply through the Comptroller’s online registration or by mailing Form AP-201.15Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Texas Sales and Use Tax Frequently Asked Questions Keep sales tax records (invoices, receipts, exemption and resale certificates) for at least four years from the date each record is created, longer if an assessment, refund, or legal matter is still open.16Legal Information Institute. 34 Texas Administrative Code 3.281 – Records Required
Late filings get expensive quickly. A report filed 1 to 30 days late carries a 5% penalty on the tax owed; past 30 days, it rises to 10%; after a formal notice of tax due, another 10% stacks on top for a 20% total. Interest starts on the 61st day after the due date at a rate the Comptroller sets annually. A flat $50 penalty applies to each late report, including zero-dollar filings.17Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Penalties for Past Due Taxes