A note to those who do their shopping on weekends: Florida’s annual back-to-school sales tax holiday ends at midnight Monday.
The holiday, usually a three-day affair, runs 10 days for the first time since 2015. It began July 31.
Retailers will suspend taxes on clothing, footwear and backpacks costing $60 or less; school supplies costing $15 or less; and the first $1,000 of the sales tax price for personal computers or personal computer accessories.
The latter category includes a wide range of items, including cords, keyboards, printers, and printer ink. A complete list of tax-exempt items can be found at floridarevenue.com/backtoschool)
A Q&A at that link addresses many questions consumers might have, such as whether there is a limit to how many tax-exempt items someone can purchase. The answer: Buy as much as you want; there is no limit as long as your items qualify for the exemption.
Another point addressed is the $15 limit on school supplies. The limit refers to individual items being purchased, not the total of everything in your cart.
The exemption does apply to items purchased online, as long as your order is accepted before midnight Monday. Don’t worry if the delivery date is later.
Unlike last year, protective products related to the pandemic (masks, hand sanitizer and cleaners) will not be sold tax-free.
School starts Tuesday in Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties and on Wednesday in Pinellas County.