Florida has hosted various sales-tax “holidays” in recent years, covering everything from hurricane supplies to theater tickets. However, businesses are most enthusiastic about the annual tax holidays on back-to-school items.
During the back-to-school discount period, which starts Monday and runs through August 11, shoppers can avoid paying sales taxes on clothes, shoes, and book bags costing $100 or less; school supplies costing $50 or less; learning aids costing $30 or less; and personal computers costing $1,500 or less.
This back-to-school holiday is part of a broader tax package (HB 7073) that lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved this year. During an appearance Thursday at Mo’s Bagels & Deli in Aventura, DeSantis highlighted the tax holiday as one of several measures in the package designed to benefit Florida residents.
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“I think it is important that we are able to provide relief for Florida families, particularly given how prices have increased over the last 3 ½ years,” DeSantis said.
At the same event, Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris noted that the 14-day period gives parents ample time to plan their back-to-school shopping. “Between work schedules, kids’ activities, and other responsibilities, it would be more challenging to take advantage of this if we were limited to just one weekend,” Harris said.
Florida has held back-to-school tax holidays since the late 1990s.
“It’s a legacy holiday. People look forward to it. They take advantage of it. They really take the opportunity to save,” Shalley said. “Our retailers are dialed into it. Our retailers are ready and prepared to have supplemental offerings to generate activity.”
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Meanwhile, the “Freedom Month” holiday, another tax holiday, will end Wednesday. During this period, sales taxes are not collected on items such as boating, fishing, and camping supplies, as well as tickets for live music events, sporting events, fairs, festivals, theater performances, and movies.
The back-to-school holiday is projected to save shoppers $97.2 million, while Freedom Month carries an estimated $91.8 million in savings.
Additionally, the state will hold a tax holiday on disaster-preparedness supplies for 14 days starting August 24, and a tax holiday on tools and other work equipment for seven days beginning September 1. A similar holiday on disaster-preparedness supplies took place during the first two weeks of June, around the start of hurricane season.
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