The State of Florida has an excellent Back to School Sales Tax Holiday perfect for parents, families, and anyone who wants to get an immediate 7% savings. From July 29th – August 11th you don’t pay the 7% sales tax on the following items. Let’s take a look:
TAX FREE ITEMS:
- CLOTHING
- Clothing $100 or less per item
- Footwear $100 or less per item
- Clothing accessories $100 or less per item
- COMPUTERS
- Desktop computers up to $1500
- Laptop computers up to $1500
- iPads or Tables up to $1500
- Calculators
- Other Computer Related Accessories
- SCHOOL SUPPLIES
- Most school supplies $50 or less
- Writing Utensils
- Notebooks
- Legal Pads
- LEARNING AIDS
- Learning Ads up to $30
- Jigsaw puzzles up to $30
- Flash Cards
- Memory Games
Here’s a more comprehensive rundown on each category:
Learning Aids and Jigsaw Puzzles
The following is a list of learning aids and their taxable status during the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday period. No tax is due on the sale or purchase of any learning aid or jigsaw puzzle with a sales price of $30 or less. This exemption does not apply to sales of learning aids or jigsaw puzzles within a theme park or entertainment complex, public lodging establishment, or airport.
“Learning aids” means flashcards or other learning cards, matching or other memory games, puzzle books and search-and-find books, interactive or electronic books and toys intended to teach reading or math skills, and stacking or nesting blocks or sets.
Examples of Exempt Learning Aid Items:
- Electronic books
- Flashcards
- Interactive books
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Learning cards
- Matching games
Clothing and Accessories
The following is a list of clothing and accessory items and their taxable status during the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday period. No tax is due on the sale or purchase of any article of clothing, wallet, or bag, including handbags, backpacks, fanny packs, and diaper bags, but excluding briefcases, suitcases, and other garment bags, with a sales price of $100 or less per item. (The list is not all-inclusive.) “Clothing” means any article of wearing apparel, including all footwear (except skis, swim fins, roller blades, and skates), intended to be worn on or about the human body. Clothing does not include watches, watchbands, jewelry, umbrellas, or handkerchiefs. This exemption does not apply to sales of clothing, wallets, or bags within a theme park or entertainment complex, public lodging establishment, or airport.
Examples of Exempt Clothing and Accessories:
- Accessories
- Barrettes and bobby pins
- Belt buckles
- Bow ties
- Hairnets, bows, clips, and hairbands
- Handbags
- Neckwear
- Ponytail holders
- Scarves
- Ties
- Wallets
- Aerobic and fitness clothing
- Aprons and clothing shields
- Athletic supporters
- Baby clothes*
- Backpacks and book bags
- Bandanas
- Baseball cleats
- Bathing suits, caps, and cover-ups
- Belts
- Bibs*
- Bicycle helmets (youth)**
- Blouses
- Boots (except ski or fishing boots)
- Bowling shoes (purchased)
- Braces and supports worn to correct or alleviate a physical incapacity or injury***
- Bras
- Choir and altar clothing***
- Cleated and spiked shoes
- Clerical vestments***
- Coats
- Coin purses
- Costumes
- Coveralls
- Diaper bags
- Diapers, diaper inserts (adult and baby, cloth or disposable)****
- Dresses
- Fanny packs
- Fishing vests (non-flotation)
- Formal clothing (purchased)
- Gloves – Dress (purchased) – Garden – Leather – Work
- Graduation caps and gowns
- Gym suits and uniforms
- Hats and caps
- Hosiery and pantyhose (including support hosiery)
- Hunting vests
- Jackets
- Jeans
- Lab coats
- Leggings, tights, and leg warmers
- Leotards
- Lingerie
- Martial arts attire
- Overshoes and rubber shoes
- Pants
- Purses
- Raincoats, rain hats and ponchos
- Receiving blankets*
- Religious clothing***
- Robes
- Safety clothing
- Safety shoes
- Scout uniforms
- Shawls and wraps
- Shirts
- Shoe inserts and insoles
- Shoes (including athletic)
- Shoulder pads (e.g., dresses or jackets)
- Shorts
- Ski suits (snow)
- Skirts
- Sleepwear (nightgowns and pajamas)
- Slippers
- Slips
- Socks
- Suits, slacks, and jackets
- Suspenders
- Sweatbands
- Sweaters
- Swimsuits and trunks
- Ties (neckties and bow ties)
- Tuxedos (purchased)
- Underclothes
- Uniforms (work, school and athletic, excluding pads)
- Vests
Computers and Computer-Related Accessories
Personal computers and certain computer-related accessories may qualify for the exemption. The following is a list of personal computers and computer-related accessories and their taxable status during the Backto-School Sales Tax Holiday period. The exemption applies to an eligible item with a sales price of $1,500 or less, when purchased for noncommercial home or personal use. This exemption does not apply to sales of personal computers or computer-related accessories for use in a trade or business, or to sales within a theme park or entertainment complex, public lodging establishment, or airport.
“Personal computers” includes electronic book readers, calculators, laptops, desktops, handheld devices, tablets, or tower computers. The term does not include cellular telephones, video game consoles, digital media receivers, or devices that are not primarily designed to process data.
“Personal computer-related accessories” includes keyboards, mice (mouse devices), personal digital assistants, monitors, other peripheral devices, modems, routers, and nonrecreational software, regardless of whether the accessories are used in association with a personal computer base unit. Computer-related accessories do not include furniture or systems, devices, software, or peripherals that are designed or intended primarily for recreational use. The term “monitor” does not include a device that includes a television tuner.
Examples of Exempt Computers and Computer Related Accessories:
- Cables (for computers)
- Calculators
- Car adaptors (for laptop computers)
- Central processing units (CPU)
- Compact disk drives
- Computers for noncommercial home or personal use – Desktop – Laptop – Tablet
- Computer batteries
- Computer towers consisting of a central processing unit, random-access memory and a storage drive
- Data storage devices (excludes those devices designed for use in digital cameras or other taxable items) – Blank CDs – Diskettes – Flash drives – Jump drives – Memory cards – Portable hard drives – Storage drives – Thumb drives – Zip drives
- Docking stations (for computers)
- Electronic book readers
- Hard drives
- Headphones (including “earbuds”)
- Ink cartridges (for computer printers)
- Keyboards (for computers)
- Mice (mouse devices)
- Microphones (for computers)
- Modems
- Monitors (except devices that include a television tuner)
- Motherboards
- Personal digital assistant devices (except cellular telephones)
- Port replicators
- Printer cartridges
- Printers (including “all-in-one” models)
- RAM (random access memory)
- Routers
- Scanners
- Software (nonrecreational) – Antivirus – Database – Educational – Financial – Word processing
- Speakers (for computers)
- Storage drives (for computers)
- Tablets
- Web cameras
