For the first time, the Florida Legislature has included personal computers and digital accessories up to $750 in a tax holiday meant to ease the pain for parents shelling out for students' school supplies.
Pencils, paper and erasers will be tax-free as always during Floridas back-to-school sales tax holiday, set for Aug. 2-4. But this year lawmakers tossed in a Digital Age upgrade -- personal computers and anything related that is designed to help students get their work done and learn. It will give thousands of Florida families an opportunity to buy their first computers, or upgrade the ones they own.
The weekend is always a favorite of taxpayers and business owners alike. Other items that would be exempt from sales tax during this time period include clothing, wallets, and book bags.
Rep. Larry Ahern, R-St. Petersburg, and Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, filed legislation to enact this year's sales tax holiday. The back-to-school sales tax holiday passed the Legislature in SB 406, an economic development package sponsored by Sen. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando.
Bill sponsors say the holiday "consistently generates a positive economic impact for the state of Florida." It allows Florida shoppers the opportunity to buy back-to-school essentials without paying state sales tax for a brief window of time.
The bill signifies the Legislature acknowledges digital literacy is essential for children. During the tax holiday weekend there will be no state or local sales taxes due on personal computers and related accessories having a sales price of $750 or less, purchased for noncommercial, home or personal use.
The term personal computer includes any electronic book reader, laptop, desktop, handheld tablet, or tower computer. What it does not include are cellphones, video game consoles, digital media receivers, or devices that are not primarily designed to process data. The term related accessories includes keyboards, mice, personal digital assistants, monitors (except those with TV tuners), modems, routers, and nonrecreational software.
As in previous tax holidays, clothing and shoes up to $75 will be tax exempt, along with school supplies up to $15. That includes pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, notebooks, notebook paper, legal pads, binders, lunch boxes, construction paper, markers, folders, poster board, composition books, poster paper, scissors, cellophane tape, glue or paste, rulers, computer disks, protractors, compasses, and calculators.
