Parents and Businesses to Benefit from New Sales Tax holiday

Florida parents won't need to pay sales tax on notebooks, pencils and other school supplies for three days this August.

Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law today a bill re-instating the School Sales Tax Holiday, a priority of the Florida Retail Federation, one of the state's largest business advocacy groups. The tax holiday, which will lasts Aug. 13-15, exempts from the state sales tax purchases of school supplies costing less than $10 and books, clothing and shoes costing less than $50.

In a time of economic uncertainty, parents eager for deals and retailers yearning for profits have supported the legislation. The holiday is expected to save Florida families $26 million.

This tax break will enable Florida families to buy school supplies and clothing for the school year without the additional cost burden of state and local taxes, said Sally West, director of government affairs for the Florida Retail Federation, in a statement. The tax holiday will also provide a much needed boost to Florida's economy. We are thankful to Governor Crist for his longtime, enthusiastic support of this tax break.