The Clock's Ticking On "Back-To-School" Sales Tax Holiday
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Families have just one more day to flock to stores in South Florida to take advantage of the sales tax holiday.
Florida's "Back-to-School" sales tax holiday began Friday, August 2nd and continues through midnight Sunday, August 4th.
Supplies, such as paper, pens and such, under $15 dollars will be tax exempt. Clothing and shoes up to $75 dollars, too, are tax-free.
But this year, shoppers can enjoy an added bonus as sales tax on personal computers, e-readers and tablets and select accessories that cost $750 or less, as long as they're not used for commercial purposes.
The Florida Retail Federation expects additional hiring by some businesses and says electronics companies have already started lowering the prices on laptops and tablets to fit under the $750 benchmark to be sales-tax free.
"What it looks like is the retailers are preparing for the demand, and they're marking down some computers so they can slide in under the $750 limit," said John Fleming, spokesman for the statewide trade association.
Lawmakers approved the exemption this year after they realizing how important technology is to education.
Want to see exactly what is on the 2013 Sales Tax Holiday List? Click here.
The state Revenue Estimating Conference has estimated the tax break will cost Florida $28.3 million in revenue this year, with local governments out $6.4 million. The statewide projection is up from a $25.9 million estimate from the 2012 back-to-school period that was also three days.
The tax break, as has been in the case in previous years, doesn't apply in theme parks or at airports or hotel gift shops.
"The News Service of Florida contributed to this report."
