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Florida Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday Extended: Save All August Long!

Back to School Sales Tax Holiday Florida FL Tax Free Week 2022

Great news for Florida families! The 2025 Florida Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday has been extended – this year, it runs all month long in August. What originally started as a tax free weekend in Florida was expanded to 14 days, and is now a permanent Sales Tax Holiday, occurring for the entire month of August each year.

We’ve got all the details you need to know to save money on your back-to-school shopping. These are dates that you can purchase clothing, shoes, backpacks, school supplies, and other qualifying items without paying the sales tax.

Florida also has multiple other tax free weeks this summer when you can save on camping gear, kayaks, snorkeling gear, fishing rods, outdoor supplies, sports equipment, concert tickets, annual museum memberships, sporting events, plays, gym memberships, batteries, coolers, generators, power tools, and more. Plus permanent sales tax exemptions on diapers, wipes, baby gear, clothing for ages 5 & under, and more. Florida’s 2025 Tax Free Weekends are part of HB 7031 passed by the Florida Legislature in June 2025, and will be official once the bill is signed by the Governor.

Learn more about all of Florida’s Sales Tax Weeks.

2025 Florida Back to School Sales Tax Holiday Details

DATES: 

Tax Free Holiday begins on August 1 at 12:01 a.m.
Ends on August 31 at 11:59 p.m.

WHAT IS TAX FREE IN FLORIDA: 

  • Clothing, footwear, and certain accessories selling for $100 or less per item (Clothing, wallets, or bags, including handbags, backpacks, fanny packs, and diaper bags. Excludes briefcases, suitcases, and other garment bags) Note this is ANY item of clothing on the allowed list, including clothing and footwear for adults.
  • School uniforms less than $100 per item
  • Certain school supplies selling for $50 or less per item: pencils, erasers, crayons, notebooks, notebook filler 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, staplers and staples used to secure paper products, protractors, compasses, and calculators
  • Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles that cost $30 or less per item: flashcards or other learning cards, matching or other memory games, puzzle books and search-andfind books, interactive or electronic books and toys intended to teach reading or math skills, and stacking or nesting blocks or sets.
  • The personal computers or personal computer-related accessories with a sales price under $1,500 purchased for noncommercial home or personal use. This includes ebook readers and tablets.

The Department of Revenue publishes a full list of eligible items each year – click here to check for the full list.

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:

Gift Cards – The sale of a gift card is never taxable. Eligible items purchased during the holiday period using a gift card will qualify for the exemption, regardless of when the gift card was purchased. Eligible items purchased with a gift card after the holiday period are taxable, even if the gift card was purchased during the holiday period.

Exchanging a Purchase after the Holiday Expires – When a customer purchases an eligible item during the holiday period, then later exchanges the item for the same item (e.g., different size or different color), no tax will be due even if the exchange is made after the holiday period. If an item is returned for a credit and a replacement purchased with the credit as a separate transaction after the holiday, sales tax will be due.

Coupons, Discounts, and Rebates –  If a coupon/discount offered by the retail seller brings the item under $100, it will be tax-free. A manufacturer’s coupon that brings an item under $100 will likely mean you owe sales tax. This is a bit confusing, if something falls around the $100 threshold, ask before you purchase.

Mail-Order, Catalog, or Online Sales – Eligible items purchased by mail order, catalog, or online are tax-free when the order is accepted by the company during the holiday period for immediate shipment, even if delivery is made after the holiday period.

Excluded Locations – Sales of any eligible items in a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishment, or airport. Some retailers can also choose to opt out of the sales tax holiday, full details can be obtained via DOR.

Click here to check for a full list of what is taxable and non-taxable during the Florida School Tax Free Weekend from the Florida Department of Revenue. The list is typically updated mid-summer for the upcoming sales tax holiday.

2025 FL Tax Free Weeks

Other FL Tax Free Week Holidays include:

Learn more in our article on Florida’s 2025 Sales Tax Weekends.

Editor’s Note: Items labeled as “permanently tax-free” or given specific permanent dates have been written into Florida law by the current legislature. However, this status can be changed or repealed by future legislative sessions.

Visit our Back to School Guide for a full list of back-to-school events, free school supplies, our favorite back-to-school gear, Stuff the Bus donation locations, tax-free shopping holiday info, school year calendar and more.

Florida Sales Tax FAQ’s

When is Florida tax free weekend for school supplies?

Save money on school supplies during Florida’s Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. This popular Back-to-School sales tax holiday is a full month from August 1 – 31. You won’t pay sales tax on clothing, school uniforms, shoes, school supplies, computers, and more.

When is tax free weekend in Florida?

There are multiple tax free weeks in Florida in 2025. The Back to School Sales Tax Holiday is August 1 – August 31. A Hunting, Camping, and Fishing equipment sales tax holiday runs from September 8 – December 31, 2025.

Does Florida tax free weekend apply to online purchases?

Yes – the Florida sales tax exemptions should apply to any online retailer who is currently responsible for paying sales tax in Florida.

What is the sales tax in Florida?

Florida sales tax is 6% with a few exemptions. Many Florida counties also have a discretionary sales surtax (county tax) that applies to most transactions subject to the sales or use tax. This makes Florida sales tax 7%, 6.5%, or even 7.5% in some counties.

Editor’s Note: Items labeled as “permanently tax-free” or given specific permanent dates have been written into Florida law by the current legislature. However, this status can be changed or repealed by future legislative sessions.

Guide to Lakeland + Polk County

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