NorthWest Florida Republican

The Florida Legislature put the Sales Tax Holiday back into the budget this year. After an uproar last year over skipping it.

Yes, there will be a sales tax holiday for school supplies this year. On May 26,2010 the Governor signed House Bill 483 into law, creating the sales tax holiday for 2010.

The sales tax holiday for school supplies will run from 12:01 a.m., August 13, 2010, through midnight, August 15, 2010.

The list of items that are exempt from tax include “Books, clothing, wallets, or bags, including handbags, backpacks, fanny packs, and diaper bags, but excluding briefcases, suitcases, and other garment bags, having a sales price of $50 or less per item.”

You can read the complete text of the new law creating the sales tax holiday by visiting the Laws of Florida website at http://laws.flrules.org/files/Ch_2010-093.pdf.

The Florida Department of Revenue often provides additional details about the sales tax holidays on their website at http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/. Look for announcements in the “Current Topics” box on that page. – MyFlorida.com

Once again, it falls on a weekend over a week after school starts here in Okaloosa. Can’t be too critical of it if you would like to participate though. We are starting our school year earlier than last year.

I am not so certain that that did anything to help the coffers for the state to collect sales tax on these items last year as many living along the state lines more than likely took advantage of Georgia’s and Alabama’s Tax Free Days. The remainder probably deferred as many of the purchases that they could and bought just the essentials.

Skipping the holiday last year probably didn’t help anyone. Certainly not those who have to buy the supplies.