Florida’s back-to-school tax holiday is back and we Floridians welcome it with open arms! Yes, it’s that time of year again when parents, and non-parents, get to shop for back-to-school supplies tax free, starting July 25th until August 7th.
Even though the term “back-to-school” is used, here’s a little secret: you don’t actually have to have a school-age child to profit from this tax break. It’s for all Florida residents! Everyone knows teachers never have enough school supplies, so why not donate some to a school in your community? Take my friend John for example, every year for the last 4 years he buys school supplies during the tax holiday and he donates them to a non-profit organization supporting students in underdeveloped countries like Haiti.
This year’s back-to-school supplies list includes items like diaper bags, diapers, toddler clothing and shoes. And for the first time the sales tax on these items will be waived through June 2023. So if you’re a new parent or if you have a small child you will for sure love these great savings. Likewise if you have a child that loves to read, taxes on books for children under the age of 12 are exempt until August 14.
The tax holiday also offers exemptions on learning aids like puzzle books, flash cards, memory games under $30, school supplies under $50, clothing and footwear under $100. But what got me even more excited is the tax break given on computers (desktops and laptops), tablets, printers and ink cartridges up to a limit of $1,500. If your child needs a new computer, like mine does, this is a great time to buy one and save some money.
Getting ready for school can be a very expensive time. According to an annual survey conducted by the National Retail Federation, families with children in elementary and high school can anticipate spending an average of $864 on back-to-school items this summer. That’s an increase of $167 from pre-pandemic 2019. With inflation at record highs, keeping a little extra money in their pockets can mean a lot for most families. We should all make sure to take full advantage of these back-to-school savings while we can.
For a complete list of exempt items for Florida’s 2022 back-to-school sales tax holiday, you can visit: https://floridarevenue.com/taxes/tips/documents/tip_22A01-08.pdf
Happy back-to-school shopping!