ORLANDO, Fla. – Preparation is the best defense against disasters, and there is no time like the present to get you and your family ready for whatever storm might threaten our shores.
The price of supplies can make a dent in your budget, but HB 7063 could bring two opportunities to save money when shopping for your hurricane preparedness kits.
The tax package includes a series of expanded sales-tax “holidays” on back-to-school items, disaster-preparedness gear and summer events. The package, which Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign, also would trim a commercial-lease tax and give tax breaks on purchases ranging from diapers for babies and adults to cattle fencing, firearm-storage devices and gas stoves.
For Floridians, the bill would bring two 14-day disaster preparedness sales tax holidays that will run during different times of the hurricane season.
The first two-week holiday would begin right before the start of the season from May 27 to June 9. The additional two-week tax relief holiday returns just in time for the usual peak of hurricane season from Aug. 26 to Sept. 8.
During these two periods, certain hurricane supplies would be tax-free, which could amount to $25.6 million in tax relief, according to the governor’s office.
Along with the traditional items in a supply kit — like flashlights, radios, tarps and batteries — the holiday also includes a number of items related to the safe evacuation of household pets.
New this year, common household items that may be helpful with disaster cleanup. This includes laundry detergent, toilet and paper towels, soap, sunscreen and various household cleaning products under $30.
Here are some of the qualifying items listed in the bill:
$10 or less
- Cans or pouches of wet pet food
$15 or less
- Manual can openers
- Collapsible or travel-sized food or water bowls for pets
- Cat litter pans
- Pet waste disposal bag
- Hamster or rabbit substrate
$20 or less
- Reusable ice
- Leashes, collars, and muzzles for pets
- Pet pads
$25 or less
- Cat litter weighing 25 or less
$30 or less
- Household cleaning supplies
- Laundry (Liquid, Powder or Pod) detergent
- Fabric softener
- Paper napkins or tissues
- Bleach
- Stain removers
- Sunscreen
- Toilet paper
- Paper towels
- Soaps (hand, bar, body)
- Dish soap (liquid, powder or pod)
- Disinfecting wipes
- Hand sanitizer
- Trash bags
$40 or less
- Portable self-powered light sources
- Pet beds
$50 or less
- Portable self-powered radios, two-way radios, or weather-band radios
- Gas or diesel fuel tanks
- Batteries, including rechargeable batteries, listed sizes only: AA-cell, AAA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt, 9-volt
$60 or less
- Portable power banks
- Nonelectric food storage coolers
$70 or less
- Smoke detectors or smoke alarms
- Fire extinguishers
- Carbon monoxide detectors
- Tarpaulins or other flexible waterproof sheeting
- Ground anchor systems
- Portable pet kennels
$100 or less
- Tarpaulins (tarps) or other flexible waterproof sheeting
- Ground anchor systems
- Tie-down kits
- Bags of dry pet food weighing 50 or fewer pounds
- Over-the-counter pet medications
$3,000 or less
- Portable generators used to provide light or communications or to preserve food in a power outage
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.