Florida Sales Tax Holidays for Back to School, Hurricane Prep, and MORE 2025

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Every penny helps, especially when you’re a parent. Florida’s popular sales tax holidays, like the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday, are about to change. 2025 marks some major changes to popular tax holidays.

2025 Florida Sales Tax Holidays

  • Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday: expected to take place August 1 – 31, 2025
  • Year‑Round Exemptions on Hurricane‑Prep Essentials
  • New Fall Hunting/Fishing/Camping Tax Holiday: sales tax break for outdoor gear is expected September 8 through December 31, 2025

Not Included in Latest Legislation

  • Freedom Month Sales Tax Holiday: has been discontinued under the new legislation
  • Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday: has been discontinued as part of the state’s new tax package (instead, there are permanent exemptions)
  • Skilled Worker Sales Tax Holiday: eliminated under the new tax legislation.

What you need to know about Florida’s Sales Tax Holidays and Exemptions 

Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday: All of August 2025

For back to school you will not have to pay sales tax on clothing items, backpacks, and footwear that are $100 or less, school supplies $50 or less, and the first $1,500 of personal computers and personal computer-related items.  

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Items having a sales price of $100 or less per item:

  • Clothing
  • All footwear, excluding skis, swim fins, roller blades, and skates
  • Wallets or bags including, Backpacks, Diaper bags, Fanny packs, Handbags
  • Briefcases, suitcases, and other garment bags are excluded.

School supplies having a sales price of $50 or less per item:

  • Binders
  • Cellophane tape
  • Compasses
  • Composition books
  • Computer disks
  • Construction paper
  • Crayons
  • Erasers
  • Folders
  • Glue or paste
  • Legal pads
  • Lunch boxes
  • Markers
  • Notebooks
  • Notebook filler paper
  • Pencils
  • Pens
  • Poster board
  • Poster paper
  • Protractors
  • Rulers
  • Scissors
  • Staplers and staples

Here’s something many parents may not realize is also sales tax exempt during this period:

Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles having a sales price of $30 or less:

  • Flashcards or other learning cards
  • Interactive or electronic books and toys intended to teach reading or math skills
  • Matching or other memory games
  • Puzzle books and search-and-find books
  • Stacking or nesting blocks or sets

See what else qualifies for the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holidays here.

Heads up! The month-long back-to-school tax holiday is part of the new tax package passed by lawmakers; and recently signed into law by the governor.

Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax: Year Round if Signed into Law

The Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holidays are designed to give you a break on sales tax for some disaster preparedness supplies that all Floridians need to have on hand during Hurricane season. Rather than a special period, there are now permanent sales tax exemptions!

Year‑Round Exemptions on Hurricane‑Prep Essentials

Instead of a temporary tax holiday, many items are permanently tax-exempt:

  • Batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 6V, 9V)
  • Fire extinguishers, smoke & CO detectors
  • Select portable generators
  • Tarps (≤ 1,000 sq ft) and waterproof sheeting
  • Ground anchors and tie-down kits
  • Gas/diesel fuel cans (≤ 5 gal)

Additional Year‑Round Exemptions

  • Sunscreen, insect repellent
  • Bicycle helmets, life jackets
  • Admission fees to state parks
  • Gold, silver, and platinum bullion
  • NASCAR championship race tickets

It’s also important to note that there are some permanent sales tax exemptions that went into effect in previous years. Sales tax breaks on Baby and Toddler items like clothing, shoes, diapers, and wipes are now permanent as are exemptions on the purchase of cribs and strollers. Other permanent sales tax exemptions include tax breaks on hygiene products like toothbrushes, toothpaste, and mouthwash.

New Fall Hunting/Fishing/Camping Tax Holiday

A one-time sales tax break for outdoor gear runs from September 8 through December 31, 2025

These updates—including the extended back-to-school holiday and permanent exemptions—are part of a newly passed tax package.