Lazaro Aleman
news@greenepublishing.com
Following an extended legislative session and much wrangling, Florida lawmakers were finally able to pass a state budget and tax package on June 16. Unlike in recent years, however, it does not contain tax holidays for disaster relief or back-to-school supplies.
Instead, the budget, which the governor signed on June 30, provides for permanent year-round sales tax exemptions for some of the items related to disaster preparation, outdoor sports, and back-to-school supplies. The governor approved the list of items related to disaster preparation that are set for permanent exemption from the sales tax include 6 and 9-volt batteries in the AA, AAA, C and D cells categories; smoke detection devices; carbon monoxide alarms; fire extinguishers; portable generators; waterproof tarps and other flexible waterproof sheeting (of 1,000 square feet or less); ground anchor systems and tie-down kits; portable gas or diesel fuel cans (five gallons or less); and sunscreen and insect repellent.
Items designated for permanent sales tax exemption in the back-to-school category, which is set for the entire month of August each year, include the following items, provided that they are $100 or less: Clothing, footwear, wallets, handbags, backpacks, fanny packs and diaper bags.
Also in the back-to-school category are items of $50 or less, including pens, pencils, crayons, markers and erasers; notebooks, legal pads, binders and construction paper; lunch boxes, glue and paste, and scissors; cellophane tape; rulers, computer disks, staplers and staples; and protractors and compasses.
Also in the back-to-school category are listed flashcards and other learning cards, jigsaw puzzles, memory games and other learning books, if $30 or less; and personal computers and related accessories, if $1,500 or less.
In the hunting, fishing and camping category, the items that are set for a permanent sales tax exemptions, which is set for Sept. 8 through Dec. 31 of this year, include ammunition, firearms, gun cleaning kits and charging handles; holsters and pistol grips; sights, optics and stocks; bows and crossbows; arrows, bolts, quarrels and quivers; and wrist guards.
Also in the fishing and camping category are sleeping bags, portable hammocks, camping stoves and collapsible camping chairs, of $50 or less; camping lanterns and flashlights, of $30 or less; tents of $200 or less; individual fishing rods and reels of $75 or less, or for a set, $150 or less; Boxes and bags of $30 or less; and bait or fishing tackle, $30 or less for individual and $10 or under for set.
All told, the legislators cut $1.3 billion in taxes from the budget, with the biggest winners being businesses, which will realize $904.8 in savings with the repeal of the business rent tax.
The second largest tax cut was for back-to-school supplies, which are projected to cost about $167.7 million in lost taxes to the states.