Are you ready for tax-free school shopping? This is what you need to know.

Parents who haven’t done their back-to-school shopping yet will save 7 percent on clothes and shoes by waiting until this weekend’s annual Mississippi Sales Tax Holiday.

On Friday and Saturday, July 27-28, shoppers won’t be charged the 7 percent Mississippi sales tax on qualifying clothing and shoes that each cost $100 or less. The event starts early Friday morning at 12:01 a.m. and ends Saturday at midnight.

So parents who spend $500 on shoes, uniforms, jeans and tops for their kids will save $35 on top of sales prices. Those savings can be used to help cover the long list of school supplies the kids will need.

The tax holiday, which was approved by the state Legislature in 2009, is designed to help parents save on new clothes and shoes for school but doesn’t apply to notebooks, backpacks, computers or other things they will need.

But shoppers use the two days to start their Christmas shopping or buy for themselves, local retailers say.

Parents often find something they like for themselves while shopping for the kids, said Rhonda Roberts, director of marketing and business development at Gulfport Premium Outlets.

2018 Sales Tax Holiday

Starts 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 27

Ends at midnight Saturday, July 28

▪ 7 percent sales tax not charged on clothing and shoes that each cost $100 or less

▪ A manufacturer’s coupon cannot be used to reduce the selling price of an item to less than $100 in order to qualify for the holiday

▪ Sales of eligible items that were placed or ordered by mail, telephone or the internet are not subject to sales tax if the purchaser orders and pays for the items during the Sales Tax Holiday and the items are less than the $100 threshold.

A list of items that do and don’t qualify are listed on the Department of Revenue website.

This story was originally published July 23, 2018 at 7:00 AM.