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Shoppers around Butler County and the state will get a break on sales tax on certain items needed for back-to-school this weekend.

The State of Alabama’s Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday will run from
12:01 a.m. Friday, July 19, through midnight Sunday, July 21. The weekend gives shoppers the opportunity to purchase certain school supplies, computers and clothing free of state sales tax. Local sales tax may apply.

Tax-exempt items include:

• Clothing, including diapers and footwear that cost $100 or less per item like belts, boots, dresses, hats, jeans, pajamas, raincoats, school uniforms, socks, underwear and more.
• School supplies that cost $50 or less per item like binders, backpacks, calculators, highlighters, legal pads, lunch boxes, pencil sharpeners, protractors, rulers, scissors, writing tablets and more.
• Computer/computer equipment that costs $750 or less per item like laptops, desktop computers, printers and printer supplies. Cellphones are not included.
• Books that cost $30 or less and textbooks that cost $50 or less.

The Alabama Department of Revenue has a list of the tax-exempt items on its website, www.revenue.alabama.gov

The statewide holiday only removes the state’s four percent sales tax, so cities and counties have to individually decide to participate in the event.

Recently, both Greenville and Butler County approved the measure.

During last Tuesday’s Butler County Commission meeting, officials reminded residents of the sales tax holiday. Commissioner Allin Whittle said retired Butler County educators would be on hand at Walmart this weekend.

“If you go there, you can buy school supplies or you can give cash donations to buy supplies,” he said. “Anything you can give will be appreciated. In the past, it’s really been great. We encourage everybody to go by.”