In Florida, tax holidays are a well-known tradition, and the return to school is no exception. Who doesn’t love shopping without taxes? I mean, America sustains itself thanks to our taxes, which are fair and necessary for the functioning of the federal state and each of the local governments, but a respite in taxes every so often is more than welcome.
This year, the state of Florida is offering a sales tax exemption on a variety of electronics, clothing, and school supplies for a two-week period. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of your money this shopping season.
Dates of Tax-Free Holidays in 2024 in Florida
The annual back-to-school sales tax exemption in Florida runs from Monday, July 29 through Sunday, August 11, 2024, spanning two full weekends. During this period, many back-to-school essentials will be exempt from the 6% sales tax normally levied in the state.
Shoppers can save on a variety of items as long as each one doesn’t exceed certain price limits. The thresholds are as follows:
- Clothing: $100 or less per item
- School supplies: $50 or less per item
- Personal computers and tablets: $1,500 or less
- Learning materials and puzzles: $30 or less
And these are the items you can buy tax-free during these holidays in Florida:
- Clothing: Hats, shoes, pants, shirts, underwear, socks, and raincoats.
- Accessories: Backpacks, bags, wallets, purses, and lunch boxes.
- School Supplies: Notebooks, scissors, pens, pencils, and calculators.
- Electronics: Printers, scanners, mice, keyboards, and routers.
- Others: E-books, flashcards, hobby books and association games.
Tax-Free Online Shopping and Excluded Products
Purchases made online may qualify for the tax exemption, as long as the delivery is made to an address in Florida. Online retailers such as Amazon respect these tax holidays, but warn that “taxes may still be calculated on items that do not qualify, which may include items that exceed a certain threshold, packages or specific items that are not included in the holiday season.”
Please note that not all products are tax-exempt during these specific dates. These are ruled out:
Clothing: Accessories such as jewelry and watches, umbrellas, protective masks, roller skates, rented formal wear and non-prescription sunglasses.
School Supplies: Printer or computer paper and certain non-exempt books.
Electronics: Computer bags, CDs and DVDs, computers for recreational use, common batteries (not for medical use), smartphones, surge protectors, tablet cases, game controllers and digital cameras.
Other Items: Furniture, luggage, clothes covers, suitcases and item rentals.
What About Theme Parks and Taxes?
Tourists visiting Florida during this period may find it more difficult to benefit from the tax exemption. According to the Florida Department of Revenue, purchases made at theme parks, entertainment complexes, public accommodation establishments and airports will be subject to taxes. This rule is because the exemption is primarily intended to benefit residents of the state.
It is also advisable, before entering and buying at any El Florida retail store, to ask if they are adhered to the tax exemption during these specific dates. Not all stores have decided to participate and you can get unpleasant surprises if you don’t ask first.