ORLANDO, Fla. — Starting Monday, families can save on school supplies, electronics, clothing, and more as part of Florida’s Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday.
The tax-free shopping period runs through Aug. 20.
Eligible items include school supplies priced $50 or less, such as binders, pencils, crayons, and notebooks. Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles priced $30 or less also qualify.
Computer accessories, laptops, calculators and other electronics priced at $1,500 or less are included in the holiday. Clothing, shoes, and accessories under $100 also qualify.
Anthony Safier, director of advisory services at Oxford Advisory Group, said families do not need to do anything other than shop to receive the savings.
“They’re just going to take that tax right off at the register,” Safier said. “There’s nothing you have to file for, there’s no reimbursement that has to happen, you don’t have to put it on your taxes at the end of the year or anything crazy. It’s just a very simple, easy-to-use mechanism. You just have to know what the boundaries and limitations are so you stay inside of them.”
Safier said families spent an estimated $850 per child on back-to-school shopping last year.
“We think it’s likely to be more this year, so, if you put in those numbers and you know the type of taxes we pay in sales tax in all these items, it could easily save families hundred, couple hundred dollars in order to do this correctly,” Safier said.
Before heading to stores, he recommends comparing prices, setting a budget and checking what supplies from last year can be reused.
For a full list of eligible items, click here.