El Paso shoppers will catch a break at the cash register on back-to-school items again this year thanks to the state’s annual Sales Tax Holiday. On average, back to school shoppers will save approximately $8 for every $100 spent.

From Friday, August 9 to Sunday, August 11, a sales tax will not be tacked onto your purchases of eligible items that sell for less than $100 each. As in previous years, eligible items include most clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks. Not all merchandise, however, is exempt. Textbooks, computers, and software, for example, are not.

A good work-around for parents whose kids are enrolled in a school district that returns to the classroom before Sales Tax Holiday weekend, or those who would rather shop now and avoid the crowds is to put things on lay-away.

Lay-away plans can be used to take advantage of the savings provided the final payment on items previously placed on lay-away is made between August 9-11, or the qualifying items are placed on layaway that weekend.

Another option is online shopping. According to the Texas Comptroller website, qualifying items purchased "from an online or catalog seller doing business in Texas" during Tax Free Weekend should not be taxed either.

A breakdown of clothing items and footwear that are exempt can be found HERE, and a list of qualifying school supplies HERE.

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