2013 Florida Sales Tax Holiday: What You Need to Know

Ready. Set. Shop! Florida's 2013 Sales Tax Holiday is this weekend - Aug. 2-4. 

Here's a rundown of what you need to know about heading out to score deals this weekend, according to information from the Florida Department of Revenue website.

What does this mean for you?

• No sales tax will be collected on sales of clothing, footwear and certain accessories selling for $75 or less, per item.

• No sales tax will be collected on certain school supplies selling for $15 or less, per item

• No sales tax will be collected on personal computers and certain related accessories selling for $750 or less, per item when purchased for non-commercial home or personal use.

• Books are not included in the sales tax holiday.

What is the time period for the sales tax holiday?

• Begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 2, 2013

• Ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 4, 2013

How do I know what qualifies?

“Clothing” means any article of wearing apparel, including all footwear (except skis, swim fins, roller blades, and skates) intended to be worn on or about the human body. However, “clothing” does not include watches, watch bands, jewelry, umbrellas, handkerchiefs, or sporting equipment. 

“School supplies” means pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, notebooks, notebook filler paper, legal pads, binders, lunch boxes, construction paper, markers, folders, poster board, composition books, poster paper, scissors, cellophane tape, glue, paste, rulers, computer disks, protractors, compasses, and calculators.

“Personal computer” means an electronic device that accepts information in digital or similar form and manipulates such information for a result based on a sequence of instructions. The term includes any electronic book reader, laptop, desktop, handheld, tablet, or tower computer but does not include cellular telephones, video game consoles, digital media receivers, or devices that are not primarily designed to process data.

“Related computer accessories” includes keyboards, mice (mouse devices), personal digital assistants, monitors, other peripheral devices, modems, routers, and non-recreational software, regardless of whether the accessories are used in association with a personal computer base unit. Related computer accessories does not include furniture or systems, devices, software, or peripherals that are designed or intended primarily for recreational use. The term “monitor” does not include a device that includes a television tuner.

What else should I know about the Sales Tax Holiday

• You do not have to purchase items separately to qualify for the sales tax break. The exemption is based on the sales price of each item not the total sales amount on the invoice. For example, if you bought three shirts at the same time, and the shorts each cost $75, all shirts would qualify for the sales tax exemption because they are priced at $75 or less. This is also the same for each qualifying school supply that costs $15 or less.
• There is no limit on the number of items you can purchase during the Sales Tax Holiday.
• Manufacturers' coupons do not reduce the sales price of an item.
• Store coupons and discounts reduce the sales price of an item.
• Businesses do not have the option of participating in the Sales Tax Holiday. All businesses that sell items listed in the Sales Tax Holiday must participate with the exception of theme parks, entertainment complexes, public lodging establishments and airports.
• If you buy tax exempt items and realize you were charged tax, you should tax your receipt to the store owner and ask for a refund of the tax.

Now that you know the facts about the tax free holiday, be sure to keep these facts in mind when looking save even more money on back to school shopping, according to U.S. News and World Report.

• Get Organized: It's important to make a list before heading out the door so that you don't make excessive impulse purchases.

• Know When To Go: Looking to stretch your budget? Make major purchases during the tax free holiday break and perhaps wait to buy other less expensive items later in the month.

• Look For Coupons: Places like Macy's often offer 10 percent off and Bed, Bath and Beyond frequently send out 20 percent off coupons to frequent shoppers. 

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