BETHESDA, Md. – As summer winds down and the new school year quickly approaches, Maryland and Virginia sales tax holidays may help local residents save some money.

First up is Virginia with a sales tax holiday weekend.  It began Friday and runs through Sunday.

Shoppers will be exempt from paying sales taxes on school supplies that cost less than $20 per item, clothing and footwear that cost less than $100 per item, emergency preparedness items such as chainsaws and generators, and Energy Star appliances that cost $2,500 or less per item.

Maryland’s sales tax holiday is a week long, starting Sunday and running through Saturday.

The tax exemption only applies to clothing and footwear that cost less than $100 per item.

“It is a great opportunity to come out and buy clothing and footwear that is exempt from the 6 percent sales tax,” Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot told WTOP.

Franchot said the tax holiday stimulates the state’s economy since it gets people out shopping and encourages them to buy a few things that may not be exempt from the sales tax.

Maryland was the second state in the nation to introduce a sales tax holiday, following Florida in 2007.  Franchot told WTOP  he would like the state general assembly to expand the list of items included in the holiday the next time it comes up for renewal.