If you’ve been thinking of buying a computer, you might want to wait until next weekend to get it.
Florida’s back-to-school sales-tax holiday runs from Friday, August 2nd through Sunday, August 4th. For the first time ever, personal computers and computer accessories are among the items that will be tax free, says John Fleming with the Florida Retail Federation.
“The sales tax exemption is going to apply to any computer or accessory like a tablet, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, things like batteries. Even headphones are going to be tax-exempt during this period,” Fleming says.
The tax-free cap on a computer is $750.
Other computer-related tax exempt items include:
- Batteries designed for a computer are exempt but regular batteries used to operate a flashlight, for example, are taxable because flashlight batteries are not a computer related accessory.
- Cases for electronic devices are taxable because cases are not listed as exempt computer related accessories.
- Printers and scanners sold for $750 or less per item are exempt, but copy machines are taxable because copy machines are not a computer related accessory under the exemption.
Clothing, shoes and accessories that sell for $75 or less are tax-exempt with some exceptions:
- Dress, garden, and work gloves sold for $75 or less are exempt, but athletic gloves are taxable because sporting equipment is excluded from the definition of clothing.
- Handbags and purses sold for $75 or less are exempt, but briefcases, suitcases, garment bags, and computer bags are taxable because those items are not “intended to be worn on or about the human body,” which is a requirement of the exemption.
School supplies that sell for $15 or less are tax-exempt.
Books are NOT tax-exempt.
Click here for a complete list.
