PELHAM – The city of Pelham will once again participate in Alabama’s 2018 “Back to School” Sales Tax Holiday on the weekend of July 20-22. The Pelham City Council approved a resolution on the matter at a meeting on Monday, March 19.

The state’s 13th sales tax holiday for school-related items begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 20, and ends at midnight Sunday July 22.

The holiday gives shoppers the opportunity to purchase certain school supplies, computers, books and clothing free of the state’s four percent sales or use tax. Cities and counties must notify the state that they will participate in the 2018 holiday by June 20.

Municipalities that participate agree to also waive their respective sales taxes on school related items.

Retailers are required to participate and may not charge tax on items that are legally tax-exempt during the sales tax holiday.

Clothing that costs $100 or less per article is covered by the tax holiday, but clothing accessories (jewelry and sun glasses, for example), protective equipment (helmets and protective gloves, for example) and sport or recreational equipment (ballet shoes and band instruments, for example) are taxable.

Computers, computer software and school computer supplies are exempt, but furniture and video games of a non-educational nature are taxable.

School supplies, school art supplies, school instructional material and books are exempt; but magazines, newspapers and periodicals are taxable.

The Alabama sales tax is 4 percent, and the Shelby County sales tax is 1 percent, while sales taxes levied by local municipalities range from 3-4 percent.

In other business, the council:

-Approved a resolution for an additional extension of the Special Use Permit for Verizon for the modification of equipment on the existing cell tower facility located at 2000 Bearden Road.
-Approved an ABC license application for 050-Retail Beer and 70-Retail Table Wine for Walgreens Company located at 2101 Pelham Parkway.
-Approved a construction change order for the Pelham Recreation Center.
-Had the first reading of an ordinance to amend the Code of Ordinance by adding certain rights-of-way along various streets and roads.