Floridians: Wait ‘Til July 1 to Buy Kayaks, Grills and Broadway Passes

Floridians, wait until July 1 to buy that kayak, new grill, or Broadway series pass. The state of Florida has a Freedom Week sales tax holiday encouraging us to a) get outside and b) get back to sharing space with strangers.

The holiday lasts from July 1 to July 7, 2022. Depending on the county in which you live, that could mean a 6% to 8% savings.

Two Exemption Categories

The savings cover two main categories: a) outdoor activity supplies and b) events.

“Outdoor activity supplies” include everything from bug spray to gas grills (the first $500 – sorry, gourmet grillers). Reading the list of exempted items makes me want to spend the rest of the summer in the water (many of these do have limits ranging from $500 down to $10):

  • canoes and kayaks
  • water skis and wakeboards
  • paddleboards and surfboards
  • coolers
  • goggles, snorkels, and masks
  • sunglasses and sunscreen
  • rods, reels, bait and tackle

For woodsy type landlubbers, exempt (also with limits) are:

  • binoculars
  • bicycles
  • bug spray
  • camping supplies
  • outdoor gas or charcoal grills

Camping supplies include stoves, tents, collapsible chairs, lanterns, flashlights, and sleeping bags. (Gee, this also reads like my hurricane preparedness list.)

Events and Annual Passes

For even more fun, “events” include tickets to any concert, movie, game, fair, festival, cultural event, or gym with attendance dates through December 31, 2022. Note: You have to buy the ticket between July 1 and July 7 for any event scheduled through the rest of 2022 to get the exemption.

Events also include annual passes to:

  • museums
  • theaters (hello, Broadway series, orchestra, and opera)
  • state parks (which I didn’t know they charged sales tax on in the first place?)

Despite its property-tax-free status (for now), sorry, but Disney does not count as a state park.

No limits on the cost for the passes. So if you’re considering venturing out for the Broadway series, purchasing the pass between July 1 and July 7 might save you enough to cover dinners before the shows.

For a complete description, see the state of Florida’s TIP sheet at: https://floridarevenue.com/taxes/tips/Documents/TIP_22A01-04.pdf

There are other sales tax holidays also going on right now. Read the comprehensive list here and mark your calendar for May of next year to watch this space for 2023: Inflation Relief: Florida 2022 Sales Tax Holidays

How will you take advantage of the Freedom Week sales tax holiday?? Leave a comment below.

Holly Donaldson

Holly Donaldson, CFP® has an advice-only, hourly and fee-for-service financial planning practice. She is the author of The Mindful Money Mentality: How to Find Balance in Your Financial Future (Porchview Publishing, 2013) and publisher of the award-winning monthly e-letter, "The View From the Porch." With a fully virtual practice in Seminole, Florida, Holly primarily serves clients located in the Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater areas. Holly will also work with clients who are a good fit located elsewhere in the United States except Texas.

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