Texas Sales Tax for Web Designers: What You Can and Can’t Charge For

If you're a web designer or developer in Texas, or if you're hiring one, there's one legal grey area that keeps popping up:

“Do I need to charge sales tax for my web design services?”

The answer? It depends—on what you’re delivering, and how you structure your services.

At Attah Digital, we work with freelancers, agencies, and business owners across Texas. We don’t offer tax advice, but we know how critical it is to understand what’s taxable—especially when you're building digital products or services.

Here’s a simplified breakdown so you can stay compliant and professional.

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💻 What Parts of Web Design Are Taxable in Texas?

Texas law considers some web-related services as “data processing”—which is taxable.

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✅ Taxable Services Include:

• Website development and coding
• Building out pages in WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, etc.
• Adding or modifying content using a CMS
• Creating and delivering web graphics (finished art)
• Hosting, backup, and maintenance plans

Even if you’re not handing over a physical product, you’re providing a deliverable, and that makes it taxable in Texas.

🧾 You must collect and remit sales tax for these services if your client is in Texas.

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🧠 What Web Services Are Not Taxable?

Here’s the good news: Some parts of web design are considered non-taxable consulting services or planning work.

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Examples:

• Strategy and discovery workshops
• UX wireframing and user journey planning
• Site architecture, moodboards, and research
• Brand positioning or copywriting (without design delivery)

📌 The catch? If the final project includes a functional site or design files, it becomes taxable. Planning alone is usually exempt.

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⚠️ Be Careful with Bundled Packages

Let’s say you offer a full website package that includes:

• Strategy
• Wireframes
• Visual design
• Development
• SEO setup

💡 If you don’t itemise each part, Texas may treat the entire invoice as taxable—even the non-taxable components.

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📋 Smart Invoicing Tips for Texas-Based Web Designers

1. Break down services clearly: Separate taxable from non-taxable line items
2. Register for a Texas Sales Tax Permit: If your services are taxable, you must collect & remit
3. Keep records of client locations: Tax applies only if the client is based in Texas
4. Mention tax in your proposals/quotes: Include language like “+ applicable Texas sales tax”

You can register at: comptroller.texas.gov

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🧠 Final Thoughts

If you’re building websites in Texas, it’s important to understand what you’re really selling.
Coding, building, and delivering websites? ✅ Likely taxable.
Planning, strategy, or consulting? ✅ Often not taxable—if separated clearly.

At Attah Digital, we help Texas-based creatives, freelancers and service providers present their business professionally—online and off.

Let’s build a site that’s beautiful, functional, and set up for real growth.

✅ Ready to upgrade your freelance web design brand?

Let’s craft a digital presence that actually converts → Contact us

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