Sales tax holiday starts Friday
Computers are back on the list during annual back-to-school sale
From Aug. 2-6, consumers will pay zero state and local option taxes on clothes and shoes, school supplies and computers purchased for noncommercial home or personal use.
Expensive computers are back on the list of tax-free items Floridians can buy during the annual back-to-school sales tax holiday kicking off Friday.
Aug. 2-6 consumers will pay zero state and local option taxes on clothes and shoes ($60 or less per item), school supplies ($15 or less pet item) and computers ($1,000 or less per item) purchased for noncommercial home or personal use, according to the Florida Department of Revenue. See the full list of eligible items at FloridaRevenue.com/BacktoSchool.
Computers were not eligible for tax-free purchase last year, but they were in 2017. This year, the purchase price for tax savings has been raised from $750 to $1,000.
Search our handy interactive database to see which supplies are tax free at SunSentinel.com/ TaxFree.
On the list: More than 40 pricey tablets, desktop and laptop computers, and tech accessories — including headphones, data storage devices and printer ink cartridges — plus clothing, shoes, backpacks, purses, lunch boxes, folders, notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons and more.
Cellular phones, laptop bags and digital cameras are taxable.
Florida’s sales tax is 6 percent, but in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, the rate is 7 percent because of a 1 percent local option tax. Other Florida counties may impose an additional tax on purchases as well.
For example, shoppers could
save up to $70 in 7 percent sales tax on each computer, laptop and tablet purchased for noncommercial use.
Note, if the selling price of a computer is more than $1,000, tax is due on the entire selling price, according to the Department of Revenue. The same is true for clothes and supplies on the list.
“The good news is that retailers will augment the state’s tax saving with great specials on their own. Consumers get a double benefit that is broadly enjoyed by millions of Floridians,” says Dominic Calabro, president and CEO of the nonprofit Florida Tax Watch based in Tallahassee.
In Palm Beach County, public school begins on Monday, Aug. 12. Broward County children return on Wednesday, Aug. 14, a change in the traditional Monday start day. MiamiDade County public school starts Aug. 21.
In May, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that provided $121 million in tax breaks that included the back-to-school sales tax holiday and a disaster preparedness tax holiday May 31-June 6. It was estimated to have saved taxpayers
“This is a win for everyone, for taxpayers, families and retailers, at very little cost to the state treasury.” Dominic Calabro,
president and CEO of Florida Tax Watch
about $800,0000, according to the Department of Revenue.
Retailers also benefit from the tax holiday.
“Clearly it has some stimulative effect. Retailers spent lots of money to promote sales on top of tax savings, and that’s a good thing. When you add a 20-percent-off (or more) sale to the tax savings of 7 percent to 8.5 percent (in Tampa), that really adds up,” Calabro says.
Tax Watch estimates Floridians will save $41.7 million in taxes during the fiveday shopping extravaganza.
“This is a win for everyone, for taxpayers, families and retailers, at very little cost to the state treasury,” he says.