Municipalities Clanton and Thorsby are participating in Alabama’s ninth annual sales tax holiday, Aug. 7-9.

During the three-day holiday, shoppers statewide will have the opportunity to purchase school supplies and other education-related items without paying the state’s 4-cent sales tax.

Counties and cities also have the option to participate in the holiday, saving their local shoppers even more money.

Clanton and Thorsby are participating, meaning that shoppers will not pay the cities’ 3-percent sales tax, in addition to not paying the state’s 4-percent sales tax.

Chilton County is not participating in the holiday, and items bought in the county will still have a county tax of 2 percent.

The county raised its sales tax to 2 percent in August 2014 to pay for the construction of a new hospital.

When shopping in Clanton and Thorsby during the tax-free weekend, shoppers will pay only a 2-percent sales tax from the county, compared to a usual 9-percent sales tax from state, county and city taxes combined.

Shoppers in Maplesville and Jemison will still have to pay their city tax of 4 percent and county tax of 2 percent, creating a total of 6-percent sales tax, compared to the usual 10 percent.

The holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 7 and goes through Sunday, Aug. 9 at midnight.

“This is a perfect opportunity for parents to purchase needed school supplies and get a tax break at the same time,” State Revenue Commissioner Julie Magee said in a press release.

Tax-exempt items include clothing priced $100 or less per item; computers and software priced $750 or less per item; school and art supplies priced $50 or less per item; and books priced $30 or less per item.

Some common items that are not tax-exempt include jewelry, glasses and most sporting equipment.

“Taxpayers, especially parents, will reap extra benefits if their city and county choose to participate,” Magee said.

The first day of the 2015-2016 school year for Chilton County public schools is Tuesday, August 11.

For more information on the holiday and a full list of tax-exempt items, visit www.revenue.alabama.gov/salestax.