How do you save money on back-to-school items? What to know about a Florida tax break

Summer is tax holiday season in Florida, and though the Freedom Month exemption for recreational items is coming to a close, another one is right around the corner.

Starting Monday, a two-week tax holiday for back-to-school items gets going.

“This is an opportunity to be able to save some real money,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a briefing in Aventura on July 25.

Florida’s back-to-school sales tax holiday runs July 29 through Aug. 11, according to the state’s Department of Revenue. The holiday, which has been around since the 1990s, removes sales tax from back to school items including notebooks, learning aids, even clothing and shoes.

Which items are tax exempt during the tax holiday? Here’s what to know:

What back-to-school items are tax free?

School supplies Priced at $50 or less per item. These include:

▪ Writing utensils such as pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, notebooks, composition books, legal pads, construction paper and notebook filler paper.

▪ Project materials such as cellophane tape, glue or paste, poster board and poster paper, rulers, protractors, scissors, staplers and staples.

▪ Binders, folders and computer disks.

▪ Lunch boxes.

Learning aids priced at $30 or less. These include:

▪ Flashcards and learning cards.

▪ Interactive books, matching or memory books and games, puzzle books, and search-and-find books.

▪ Stacking or nesting blocks and any games or puzzles meant to help teach reading or math.

Clothing and bags priced at $100 or less per item. These include:

▪ All clothing items except for accessories like watches, watch bands, jewelry, umbrellas and handkerchiefs.

▪ All footwear except skis, swim fins, roller blades and skates.

▪ Wallets and bags, including backpacks, handbags, diaper bags and fanny packs. However, suitcases, briefcases and garment bags are not included.

Personal computers and accessories priced at $1,500 or less and not purchased for commercial use. These include:

▪ Personal computers include calculators, desktops, laptops, tablets, handhelds, ebook readers and tower computers.

▪ Computer accessories include keyboards, mice, modems, monitors, non-recreational software, and routers.

A full list of all exempt items can be found online.

What items aren’t covered?

▪ Cellphones, video game consoles and digital media receivers.

▪ Rentals, repairs or alterations of any items.

▪ Any items sold within a theme park, entertainment complex, airport or public lodging.

▪ Any clothing item priced at more than $100.

▪ Any school supply item priced at more than $50.

▪ Any learning aid item priced at $30.

▪ Any personal computer or accessory priced at more than $1,500, or any computer purchased for non-personal use.

▪ Books that are not considered school supplies or learning aids.

Does the tax holiday include online shopping?

Qualifying back-to-school items purchased online during the holiday are exempt from sales tax, even if they are delivered after the holiday ends.

Can you return or exchange items bought during the holiday?

Items purchased during the tax holiday can be returned even after the holiday ends, as long as you have the original receipt. If you exchange the item, you will not be charged tax on the replacement item, even if the exchange takes place after the tax holiday ends.

Are there other Florida tax holidays?

Florida has several tax holidays throughout the year.

▪ Disaster Preparedness sales tax holiday takes place Aug. 24 through Sept. 6, offering tax exemptions for items needed for disaster preparation.

▪ “Freedom Month” sales tax holiday takes place July 1-31 and offers tax exemptions for recreational goods.

▪ “Tool Time” sales tax holiday takes place Sept. 1-7, offering tax exemptions for tools used by trade workers.