Back-to-school shopping in Selma just lightened up on the wallet a little bit.

People seeking to ease the strain on their pocketbooks will receive a tax break beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7 and ending at midnight Sunday, Aug. 9.

It’s the fourth annual sales tax holiday giving shoppers the chance to purchase certain school supplies, computers and clothing free of state sales or use taxes.

“Our residents appreciate this every year we have done it,” said Selma Mayor George Evans, “and we know they will appreciate it more this year because of the economy.”

Retailers, such as Screenco, have begun preparations for the rush.

“Screenco has everything for a student,” Jeffrey Nichols said. “We have uniforms for every school in town and outside the city. We have items for places like Marion, Uniontown and Alberta. We carry everything a student would need for a uniform except shoes.”

Screenco also sells socks. In addition, the store sells shorts, skirts, skorts, shirts, jackets with school logos, mesh and clear backpacks, rolling backpacks, lunch boxes, thermoses and belts.

Clothing, $100 or less, per article is exempt. This includes clothing for general use.

However sport or recreational equipment, such as ballet or tap shoes, cleated or spiked athletic shoes, waders, wetsuits, goggle, gloves for sports and other items are taxable.

Computers, computer software and school computers with a sales price of $750 or less are exempt.

School computer supplies are disks, handheld electronic schedulers, except devises that are cellular phones; personal digital assistants, except devices that are cellular phones; computer printers; and printer supplies for computers, such as printer paper or ink.

School supplies, school art and instructional supplies that sell for $50 or less per item are also exempt. Those items include binders, lunch boxes, markers, pens, pencils, reference maps and globes.

Books with a sales price of $30 or less per book are also exempt. But taxable are magazines, newspapers and periodicals or any other document printed or offered for sale in a non-bound form.

Valley Grande will not participate in the tax holiday. The city council decided the stores in Valley Grande did not offer a wide enough variety to make the holiday worthwhile to residents.