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What to know and where to go: Back-to-school tax free holiday

Items will be tax exempt on July 29 to Aug. 11

The 2024-25 back-to-school season is nearly here, and the annual tax-free holiday is one way to help prepare.

A summer sales tax holiday is an opportunity for parents, family members, students and guardians to save money on expenses associated with the beginning of a new school year, as the sales tax is removed on certain types of items. Tax-free items include school supplies, new clothing and more.

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Florida’s statewide sales tax holiday begins on Monday, July 29, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 11. Tax-free savings apply to both in-store and online orders on a variety of different items that students and parents need to be ready for the new school year.

All major retailers and smaller businesses will be offering tax exemptions on these items, as required by the state. Visit your favorite department store or retailer to stock up on much-needed supplies for the upcoming school year without the added cost of tax.

Here is list of items exempt from tax during the 2024 Back-to-Schools Sales Tax Holiday, as provided by the Florida Department of Revenue.

To learn more about the holiday, the included items or to view frequently asked questions, visit the Florida Department of Revenue’s website.

Personal computers or personal computer-related accessories purchased for noncommercial home or personal use having a sales price of $1,500 or less per item. These include:

  • Calculators
  • Desktops
  • Electronic book readers
  • Handhelds
  • Laptops
  • Tablets
  • Tower computers
  • Keyboard
  • Mice
  • Modems
  • Monitors
  • Nonrecreational software
  • Other peripheral devices
  • Personal digital assistants
  • Routers

Clothing items having a sales price of $100 or less per item. These include:

  • All footwear, excluding skis, swim fins, roller blades and skates
  • Any article of wearing apparel intended to be worn on or about the human body, excluding watches, watchbands, jewelry, umbrellas and handkerchiefs
  • Wallets or bags, including backpacks, diaper bags, fanny packs and handbags

School supplies having a sales price of $50 or less per item. These include:

  • Binders
  • Cellophane tape
  • Compasses
  • Composition books
  • Computer disks
  • Construction paper
  • Crayons
  • Erasers
  • Folders
  • Glue or paste
  • Legal pads
  • Lunch boxes
  • Markers
  • Notebooks
  • Notebook filler paper
  • Pencils
  • Pens
  • Poster board
  • Protractors
  • Rules
  • Scissors
  • Staplers and staples

Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles having a sales price of $30 or less:

  • Flashcards or other learning cards
  • Interactive or electronic books and toys intended to teach reading or math skills
  • Matching or other memory games
  • Puzzle books and search-and-find books
  • Stacking or nesting blocks or sets

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