Sarah bought a laptop for $149.99. If the sales tax is 8.5%, what is the total amount she has to pay? Round your answer to the nearest hundredth.

To calculate the total amount Sarah has to pay for the laptop, we need to first find the amount of sales tax and then add it to the original price of the laptop.

1. **Calculate the sales tax**:
\[
\text{Sales Tax} = \text{Price} \times \text{Sales Tax Rate}
\]
\[
\text{Sales Tax} = 149.99 \times 0.085
\]
\[
\text{Sales Tax} = 12.74915
\]

2. **Round the sales tax to the nearest hundredth**:
\[
\text{Sales Tax} \approx 12.75
\]

3. **Calculate the total amount**:
\[
\text{Total Amount} = \text{Price} + \text{Sales Tax}
\]
\[
\text{Total Amount} = 149.99 + 12.75
\]
\[
\text{Total Amount} = 162.74
\]

Therefore, the total amount Sarah has to pay is **$162.74**.