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.
