TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV\/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) – Starting Sept. 1 there will be no sales tax on guns or ammunition in Florida. <\/p>\n
Other outdoor gear also has no sales tax, if the items qualify. <\/p>\n
Those who buy a gun or ammo in Florida for the next four months won\u2019t pay sales tax. Despite the price of the gun, you\u2019ll get the discount at the checkout counter. They\u2019ll also get a pass on some outdoor gear. <\/p>\n
Local retailers say the sales tax holiday mainly benefits the big box store, not mom and pop shops. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo, last year did not include suppressors or magazines, this year it does. So, it\u2019s ammunition, firearms, magazines, optics, all of the things for hunting or shooting,\u201d JD Johnson, owner of Talon Tactical Outfitters said. <\/p>\n
While unlimited for guns, the tax break is pretty restrictive for other items. Sleeping bags must cost less than $50, tents less than $200 and fishing rods less than $75. <\/p>\n
One small business owner says he supports the program, but barely any items at his store qualify. <\/p>\n
\u201cTwo products that qualify in an outdoor, locally owned business. Two is pretty sad,\u201d Scott Maphis, representative for Trail and Ski said. <\/p>\n
The sales tax holiday is only in its second year. To make the program better, Maphis says outdoor gear shouldn\u2019t be hard capped. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd so, really and truthfully, that sleeping bag, if at $200, it\u2019s coming in, in Leon County at least, where they\u2019re going to save $14 on tax,\u201d Maphis said. \u201cSo, in the grand scheme of things, these kind of items, there\u2019s not enough tax savings for them to really bat an eye at.\u201d <\/p>\n
Still, consumers are now more likely to buy more expensive firearms. <\/p>\n
\u201c7% of $5,000 is $350, that\u2019s a big savings,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cIt\u2019s probably not going to make a huge difference on a $10 bottle of gun oil or a $50 holster, but on the gun sales, on the bigger tickets items, it\u2019s definitely an increase.\u201d <\/p>\n
Small business owners said the sales tax holiday will mostly help stores like Walmart and Target, who sell the cheapest gear, not the local shops which often provide mid-level items.<\/p>\n