The annual period to buy certain items tax free as the start of the school year approaches is underway.

Shoppers in Arkansas and Missouri will have the opportunity to save money on certain items this weekend during their respective tax-free weekends. These weekends are designed to help families with back-to-school shopping and provide an economic boost to local businesses.

In Arkansas, shoppers can take advantage of the sales tax holiday by purchasing clothing and footwear for under $100 per item, as well as certain accessories and school supplies. The exemption applies to both state and local sales taxes, giving shoppers even more savings. The time period to buy is from Saturday morning through Sunday evening.

In Missouri, the tax-free weekend includes a similar range of items, with the exemption applying to clothing and footwear under $100 per item, school supplies, computers and computer accessories. Like Arkansas, both state and local sales taxes are exempt during this time. The period  to shop in Missouri begins today and runs through Sunday evening. 

It's important to note that not all items are exempt from sales tax during these weekends. For example, in Arkansas, items like jewelry, cosmetics, and sporting equipment are still subject to sales tax.

During the tax-free weekends, all retailers are required to participate and cannot charge tax on items that are eligible for exemption. 

Links to the list of items are below:

Arkansas tax-exempt itemized list

Missouri tax-exempt information

(Information for this story courtesy KTLO)