Despite the uncertainty the Coronavirus pandemic has caused, school has remained a constant, even if it was remote or abbreviated. This fall, school will return, and the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday and provide relief for shoppers with students in the family. Now the third weekend in July, the Alabama Department of Revenue helps you save on sales tax on items like clothing, computers, supplies, and more. For 2020, Alabama's Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday is July 17-19.

Alabama has the 8th highest sales tax in the US, so skipping sales tax ahead of the new year is an opportunity. Parents can save an average of $50 per kid! Many retailers offer additional sales and deals to lure in shoppers that weekend - so the savings can really add up.

To find out which items are exempt from city, county (list of participating localities) and state sales taxes, you can view the reference sheet on Alabama's website, but here are some popular items:

Clothing ($100 or less per item) – such as school uniforms, jeans, gloves, and shoes - note that this year, Alabama has updated the wording to specify that the clothing must be 'human wearing apparel' - no dogs or robots allowed!Computers, software & accessories ($750 or less per item) – such as compact disks, printer paper, and PDAs (maybe this list needs updated terminology, too)Supplies ($50 or less per item) – such as highlighters, protractors, lunch boxes, folders, and moreBooks ($30 or less per item) – any bound book - get your entire summer reading list with one week to spare

For Alabama's sales tax holiday, parents could be in line for some deals. Planning for sales tax savings is a smart tip for cutting your family's tax bill.