With a new school year approaching, Maryland consumers can get some relief from rising prices by avoiding state sales tax on apparel and shoes for one week this month.

The state’s annual tax-free shopping week will run Sunday, Aug. 11, through Saturday, Aug. 17, the Comptroller of Maryland’s office said Thursday.

During the annual tax holiday, designed as a consumer incentive to boost back-to-school retail sales, shoppers can avoid the state’s 6% sales tax on clothing and shoes under $100 and on the first $40 of backpack sales. The annual event, authorized by the General Assembly in 2007, typically starts the second Sunday of August.

With prices continuing to rise, “my hope is that this temporary relief helps boost customer traffic and sales for our local businesses and purchasing power for shoppers in Maryland,” Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman said in the announcement.

Any single qualifying piece of clothing or footwear priced at $100 or less will be exempt from sales tax regardless of the number of items bought. Examples include sweaters, shirts, slacks, jeans, dresses, robes, underwear, belts, shoes and boots.

The week is a chance for consumers to support local retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues “with the money they save,” said Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance. Online purchases are included if they are paid for and delivered or paid for and accepted for immediate shipment during the tax-free week.