"This upcoming tax-free week provides working families another opportunity to increase their purchasing power as they shop for back-to-school items," Rep. Boucher said. "Not only does the program help working families by putting more than $30 million back into their pockets, but it also gives Connecticut merchants and retailers a welcome boost.

For this week only, the increased exemption replaces the $50 standard exemption for clothing and footwear.

This will be the sixth “Sales Tax Free Week” in Connecticut. The state’s nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis has projected that the state will forgo about $3.3 million in sales tax revenues during the week.

"We saw countless families take advantage of previous sales-tax free weeks, while also helping merchants particularly in border counties by keeping more shoppers here in Connecticut," Rep. Boucher said.

Boucher said shoppers can also take steps to maximize their savings on purchases. The sales tax will be applied after the use of any coupons or discounts. Therefore, you can purchase more items and still stay under the $300 limit necessary to take advantage of the sales tax exemption. Layaways and rentals of clothing or footwear under $300 are also tax-free during the tax exclusion week. For purchases costing $300 or more, sales tax is calculated on the full cost of the item.

For answers to questions about the Connecticut Sales Tax Free Week for both consumers and retailers, the Department of Revenue Services (DRS) has posted details on its web site at www.ct.gov/drs. The DRS web site also has links to other publications to help consumers understand the regular sales and use tax exemption on clothing and footwear.