Florida’s 2013 Sales Tax Holiday is This Weekend

Computers Now Included in “Tax Free” Holiday Weekend of August 2^nd!

For the fourth straight year, Floridians will get a sales tax holiday this summer, but this year it will include computers for the first time. Lawmakers approved the exemption for computers this year after realizing how important technology is to education.

The Florida Legislature’s 3-day sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m., Friday, August 2, 2013, and ends at midnight Sunday, August 4, 2013.

During the 2013 Florida Back to School Tax Holiday, no Florida sales tax or local option tax will be collected on sales of clothing, footwear, and certain accessories selling for $75 or less per item, on certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item, and on computers and certain related accessories selling for $750 or less per item when purchased for non-commercial home or personal use. The exemption will apply no matter how many items are sold on the same invoice to a customer.

Key Point: In addition to being able to buy all sorts of back-to-school supplies, such as pens, paper, crayons, glue, backpacks, and clothing (including shoes) without paying the usual sales tax, the added bonus is being able to now also save sales tax on personal computers, e-readers and tablets. Some businesses and electronics companies have already started lowering the prices on laptops and tablets to fit under the $750 benchmark to be sales-tax free.

What’s Not Exempt:

1)     Books are NOT exempt from tax during the 2013 Sales Tax Holiday

2)     Sales of clothing, school supplies, or computers and certain related accessories within a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishment, or airport

3)     When exempt items are normally sold together with taxable merchandise as a set or single unit, the full price is subject to sales tax.

4)     When the total price of items advertised as “buy one, get one free,” or “buy one, get one for a reduced price,” cannot be averaged for both items to qualify for the exemption.

For a detailed list of exempt and non-exempt items, as well as rules pertaining to gift certificates etc., please visit: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/tips/