RICHMOND — Virginia will offer a sales tax holiday Aug. 5-7 so that shoppers can purchase qualifying school supplies, clothing and footwear, emergency preparedness items and certain energy-efficient products without paying state and local sales tax.

According to a press release, the two-day tax break is aimed to financially assist families for back-to-school shopping and encourage Virginians to take necessary precautions during hurricane season.

Tax-exempt items include most school and office supplies, such as pens, loose-leaf paper, scissors, binders, backpacks and construction paper, priced at $20 or less, certain clothing and footwear, batteries, flashlights, bottled water, tarps, duct tape, fire extinguishers, cell-phone chargers, smoke detectors, buckets, rope and first aid kits, priced at $60 or less.

“All retailers who sell the exempt products are required to participate in the sales tax holiday,” the release stated. “In addition, retailers may choose to pay the sales tax on any taxable items and pass the savings on to customers.”

For more details, visit the Virginia Department of Taxation’s website at www.tax.virginia.gov/salestaxholiday.