The annual state tax holiday next weekend will allow shoppers to buy even more items, including school instructional materials with an individual price tag of up to $300, without paying sales taxes.

Previously, the individual price limit was $100.

This year's state tax holiday runs from Friday, Aug. 1, through Sunday, Aug. 3. Among the school instructional materials free of tax are reference books, maps, globes, textbooks and workbooks.

“As many families find themselves squeezed by the national economy with increasing prices for food, gasoline and other necessities, our tax holiday offers consumers a chance for some real savings,” Gov. Mike Easley said in a news release. “With all the needs the start of a new school year brings, this is a way for families to stretch their hard-earned money a bit farther and an opportunity to generate significant business for our retailers.”

During the tax holiday weekend, consumers will not pay sales tax on the following items: clothes and footwear costing less than $100 per item; school supplies such as pens, pencils, paper, notebooks, textbooks, book bags, lunch bags and calculators costing less than $100 per item; sports and recreation equipment costing $50 or less per item; computers costing less than $3,500 and computer supplies costing less that $250 per item.

An all-inclusive list of items that qualify as “school supplies” during the sales tax holiday is available at the N.C. Department of Revenue’s Web site: www.dornc.com.