TAMPA, Florida — Florida retailers hope for a boost to summer sales with the start of a Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday on Monday.
The tax holiday runs from July 24 through Aug. 6. It allows shoppers to avoid paying sales taxes on clothes, shoes, school supplies and personal computers.
Florida Retail Federation President Scott Shalley is optimistic about the upcoming discount period, hoping stores will see a boost in sales.
"Our retailers are particularly excited because this has kind of been the summer of travel," he said. "Candidly, some of our stores have been down a little bit.
"Hopefully, the back-to-school sales tax holiday will incentivize folks to get out and about and patronize their local retailer."
Here's a breakdown of items exempt this year during the 2023 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday.
Learning aid items — $30 or less:
- Electronic books
- Flashcards
- Interactive books
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Learning cards
- Matching games
- Memory games
- Puzzle books
- Search-and-find books
- Stacking or nesting blocks or sets
- Toys that teach reading or math skills
Clothing and accessories — $100 or less:
- Accessories
- Barrettes and bobby pins
- Belt buckles
- Bow ties
- Hairnets, bows, clips, and hairbands
- Handbags
- Neckwear
- Ponytail holders
- Scarves
- Ties
- Wallets
- Backpacks and book bags
- Belts
- Diaper bags
- Dresses
- Fanny packs
- Gloves
- Dress (purchased)
- Garden
- Leather
- Work
- Jackets
- Jeans
- Leggings, tights, and leg warmers
- Pants
- Purses
- Shirts
- Shoes (including athletic)
- Shorts
- Skirts
- Sleepwear (nightgowns and pajamas)
School supply items — $50 or less:
- Binders
- Calculators
- Colored pencils
- Composition books
- Construction paper
- Crayons
- Erasers
- Folders
- Glue (stick and liquid)
- Highlighters
- Lunch boxes
- Pencils, including mechanical and refills
- Pens, including felt, ballpoint, fountain, highlighters, and refills
- Rulers
- Scissors
Computers and related accessories — $1,500 or less:
- Electronic book readers
- Laptops
- Desktops
- Handhelds
- Tablets
- Tower computers
Accessories:
- Keyboards
- Mice
- Personal digital assistants
- Monitors
- Other peripheral devices
- Modems
- Routers
- Nonrecreational software, regardless of whether the accessories are used in association with a personal computer base unit
Click here to see the full list of tax-free items for the 2023 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday.