Recently the Tax Free weekend has become a tradition of sorts for many parents, students, and fashionistas a like. I wasn’t lucky enough to take advantage of this every single year of school, but for the few years it was available in Texas, man, did we shop till we dropped on those days. Get ready to brave the crowds, clothing racks and be aware of what is and what isn’t tax free on those coveted days of the late summer days.

But, why do you shop tax free for luxury items? The point is, and it’s sad for me to say it, the economic downturn has hit the industry. I was watching the Evening News on NBC this evening and they reported that Sak’s Fifth Avenue sales have dropped a whopping 16% this year. To boost those numbers discounts are going to go up so the retailers can get those Summer items out of the store to get in those Fall items that we’ve been writing about since July. So, finding items under $100 may not be as hard as you thought.

Now that I’ve broken everything down for you…here’s the skinny on when you can get your tax free shop on in a state near you:

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Alabama August 8-9

Applies to:

· Clothing under $10

Connecticut August 15-22

Applies to:

· Clothing under $300

· Shoes under $300

Iowa August 7-9

Applies to:

· Clothing under $100

· Shoes under $100

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Louisiana August 7-9

Applies to:

· Purchases under $2,500

· Excludes the purchase of taxable services, automobiles, and meals

Missouri: August 7-9

Applies to:

· Clothing under $100

· School supplies under $50

· Note: Some cities and counties in Missouri elect not to participate.

New Mexico: Aug. 7-9

Applies to:

· All clothing and shoes under $100

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North Carolina: August 7-9

Applies to:

· Clothing, footwear, and school supplies under $100

· Sports and recreation equipment under $50

Oklahoma: August 7-9

Applies to:

· Clothing and shoes priced under $100

South Carolina: Aug. 7-9

Applies to:

· Clothing , accessories, footwear

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Texas: Aug. 21-23

Applies to:

· Clothing and footwear under $100

· Includes backpacks under $100 for elementary and secondary students

· Includes layaway items

Vermont: August 22

Applies to:

· The sale of personal property items costing less than $2,000

· Does not apply to food, beverages, or hotel rooms

Virginia: April 7-9

Applies to:

· Clothing and footwear under $100

If you didn’t see your state listed or want more information about Tax Free Weekend check Jennifer Wolf’s article on Tax Free Weekends 2009.