Shoppers take advantage of tax-free weekend

Paul Kokkelenberg was looking for the basic school supply items for his two children. Increased gas prices prompted Kokkelenberg to pay more attention to the tax-free holiday this year.

Officials said it was too early to calculate exact numbers of sales. Managers at the Target in Cary said sales were good.

State officials this week estimated shoppers will save about $9.2 million, with computers, clothing and many back-to-school supplies exempted from state and local sales tax. The tax-free weekend began at midnight Thursday and will end at midnight Sunday.

Items exempt from tax include clothing, footwear and school supplies for $100 or less; textbooks school instructional materials for $300 or less; sports and recreation equipment for $50 or less; computers for $3,500 or less; and computer supplies for $250 or less.

The state sales tax is 4.25 percent, and most counties levy an additional 2.5 percent.

Over the seven-year life span of the annual holiday, the state has not collected as much as $60 million in revenue, according to estimates from the fiscal analysts at the legislature.