Year Long Tax Break for Parents
- June 13, 2022
On May 6, 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill establishing 10 — yes, 10 — sales tax holidays. The first started May 14, 2022.
There’s a lot to digest. Some of the sales holidays last less than a week, some a few months, some two years. Some exempt all qualifying products, some set price or age restrictions. For consumers, discovering the host of temporarily exempt transactions could be a romp.
Lauded as Florida’s “first sales tax exemption period on children’s books,” this new sales tax holiday establishes a temporary exemption for any fiction or nonfiction book “primarily intended for children ages 12 or younger” Per the Florida Department of Revenue: “If a book is labeled with an age range that includes 12 years old and younger, then the book qualifies for the exemption.” Eligible audiobooks on CD or tape also qualify. Bibles, prayer books, and school books are always exempt from Florida sales tax.
This isn’t the first time Florida has provided a sales tax holiday for items that can help residents weather a storm, but some eligible items are new this year. Sales tax does not apply to the following items during the tax-free period:
Like last year, Florida is providing a temporary exemption for a variety of items that encourage outdoor activity and amusement. And like last year, the exemption often applies to a portion of a sales price only.
This tax-free period lasts a whole year!
There are no price restrictions for this sales tax holiday, but as with the tax-free period for children’s books, there is an age limit.
As explained by the Florida Department of Revenue, “During this sales tax exemption period, tax is not due on the retail sale of children’s diapers or on baby and toddler clothing, apparel, and shoes primarily intended for children age 5 or younger.” Too bad, parents of children aged six and up.
TIP #22A01-06 provides examples of qualifying clothing and accessories.
Retail sales of the following Energy Star products will also be exempt from Florida sales tax for one year..
This tax-free period lasts two years!
Price restrictions are in effect during the 2022 back-to-school sales tax holiday. Because Florida is offering multiple, overlapping sales tax holidays this year, some items that won’t qualify for an exemption under the back-to-school sales tax holiday are exempt under the sales tax holiday for children’s books or the sales tax holiday for children’s diapers and baby and toddler clothing, apparel, and footwear. See TIP #22A01-08 for specifics, including examples of eligible products.
A new “Tool Time” sales tax holiday is surely a dream come true for any tool aficionado. You don’t have to be a skilled trade worker to benefit from the temporary exemption.
Florida is also providing a temporary motor fuel tax exemption in 2022, like New York, Maryland, and several other states.
Details will be forthcoming at the Department of Revenue website.