FL Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday Ends This Weekend: Eligible Items

FLORIDA — With summer slipping by quickly, back-to-school sales for supplies, clothing and other essentials are already prominent in Florida stores. Some of the best savings are available during Florida’s sales tax holiday.

The state's back-to-school sales tax holiday runs through Sunday. Back-to-school items exempt from sales tax are:

• Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles selling for $30 or less •
• Most school supplies selling for $50 or less •
• Clothing, footwear and accessories selling for $100 or less •
• Computers and related accessories selling for $1,500 or less (when purchased for non-commercial and personal use)

The Sunshine State recognizes four sales tax holidays this year.

Florida established the first sales tax holiday, for disaster preparedness, in 2005 to help families save money on storm preparedness items. During the two-week holiday, the state sales tax of 6 percent will be suspended on various disaster preparedness items from Aug. 24-Sept. 6.

Disaster preparedness items exempt from sales tax will be:

• Wet dog or cat food if sold individually or the equivalent if sold in a box or case ($10 or less)
• Manual can openers ($15 or less)
• Collapsible or travel-sized food or water bowls for pets ($15 or less)
• Cat litter pans ($15 or less)
• Pet waste disposal bags ($15 or less)
• Hamster or rabbit substrate ($15 or less)
• Reusable ice ($20 or less)
• Leashes, collars, and muzzles for pets ($20 or less)
• Pet pads ($20 or less)
• Cat litter weighing 25 or fewer pounds ($25 or less)
• Portable self-powered light sources ($40 or less)
• Pet beds ($40 or less)
• Portable self-powered radios, two-way radios, or weather-band radios ($50 or less)
• Gas or diesel fuel tanks ($50 or less)
• Batteries, including rechargeable batteries AA-cell, AAA-cell, C-cell, D-cell (6-volt and 9-volt) ($50 or less)
• Non-electric food storage coolers ($60 or less)
• Portable power banks ($60 or less)
• Smoke detectors or smoke alarms ($70 or less)
• Fire extinguishers ($70 or less)
• Carbon monoxide detectors ($70 or less)
• Tarpaulins or other flexible waterproof sheeting ($100 or less)
• Ground anchor systems ($100 or less)
• Portable pet kennels or pet carriers ($100 or less)
• Dry dog or cat food weighing 50 or fewer pounds ($100 or less)
• Over-the-counter pet medications ($100 or less)
• Portable generators used to provide light or communications or to preserve food in a power outage ($3,000 or less)

Then, the tool time sales tax holiday will be held from Sept. 1-7.

Tool time items exempt from sales tax will be:

• Hand tools ($50 or less)
• Safety glasses ($50 or less per pair or the equivalent if sold in sets of more than one pair)
• Protective coveralls ($50 or less)
• Duffle bags or tote bags ($50 or less)
• LED flashlights ($50 or less)
• Shovels ($50 or less)
• Rakes ($50 or less)
• Fuel cans ($50 or less)
• Tool boxes ($75 or less)
• Hearing protection items ($75 or less)
• Work gloves ($25 or less)
• High-visibility safety vests ($30 ot less)
• Tool belts ($100 or less)
• Electrical voltage and testing equipment ($100 or less)
• Shop lights ($100 or less)
• Hard hats and other head protection ($100 or less)
• Industry textbooks and code books ($125 or less)
• Power tool batteries ($150 or less)
• Handheld pipe cutters ($150 or less)
• Drain opening tools ($150 or less)
• Plumbing inspection equipment ($150 or less)
• Work boots ($175 or less)
• Ladders ($250 or less)
• Power tools ($300 or less)
• Tool boxes for vehicles ($300 or less)

Families with children in grades kindergarten through 12th are expected to spend about $39 billion on back-to-school spending, averaging out to about $875 per household, according to a new survey from the National Retail Federation. Back-to-college shopping is expected to hit $86.6 billion, or about $1,3765 per household.

The findings are based on a survey of 7,533 consumers earlier this summer.

In addition to big-ticket electronics like laptops, tablets, phones and calculators that kids in elementary through high school students need, college students put furnishings and food accounts on their back-to-school shopping lists, the retail group said.

K-12 shoppers are budgeting $309.35 on average for electronics ($13.7 billion), $253.29 for clothing and accessories ($11.2 billion), $141.62 for school supplies ($6.3 billion) and $170.43 for shoes ($7.6 billion), according to the survey.

College spending is expected to average $359.49 per student for electronics ($22.8 billion), $192.40 for dorm or apartment furnishings ($12.2 billion), $171.06 on clothing and accessories ($10.9 billion), $149.81 on food ($9.5 billion) and $112.60 on shoes ($7.1 billion).