Everything you need to know about Florida's 2021 sales tax holidays

TAMPA, Fla. — Aside from the disaster preparedness and back-to-school sales tax holidays, Floridians will have another sales tax holiday they can partake in this year.

During a news conference at a Pensacola Home Depot, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced 2021 "Freedom Week." It will be from Thursday, July 1 through Wednesday, July 7, and will exempt qualifying admissions and items related to recreational activities from sales tax.

Here is a list of qualifying admissions, which must be scheduled to be held between July 1 and Dec. 31:

• A live music event
• A live sporting event
• A movie shown in a movie theater
• Entry to a museum, including annual passes
• Use of or access to state parks, including annual passes
• Entry to a ballet, play, or musical theater performance
• Season tickets to ballet, play, or musical theater performances
• Entry to a fair, festival, or cultural event
• Use of or access to gyms and physical fitness facilities between July and December

Here is a list of qualifying items:

• $5 or less
  • Fishing Supplies: bait or fishing tackle, if sold per item
• $10 or less
  • Fishing Supplies: bait or fishing tackle, if multiple items are sold together
• $15 or less
  • General Outdoor Supplies: sunscreen or insect repellent
• $25 or less
  • Boating and Water Activity Supplies: snorkels, goggles, and swimming masks
• $30 or less
  • Camping Supplies: camping lanterns or flashlights
  • Fishing Supplies: tackle boxes or bags
  • General Outdoor Supplies: water bottles
• $40 or less
  • Sports Equipment: any item used in individual or team sports, not including clothing or footwear
• $50 or less
  • Boating and Water Activity Supplies: safety flares
  • Camping Supplies: sleeping bags, portable hammocks, camping stoves, and collapsible camping chairs
  • General Outdoor Supplies: hydration packs, bicycle helmets
• $75 or less
  • Boating and Water Activity Supplies: life jackets, coolers, paddles, and oars
  • Fishing Supplies: rods and reels, if sold individually
• $100 or less
  • General Outdoor Supplies: sunglasses
• $150 or less
  • Boating and Water Activity Supplies: water skis, wakeboards, kneeboards, and recreational inflatable tubes or floats capable of being towed
  • Fishing Supplies: rods and reels, if sold as a set
• $200 or less
  • Camping Supplies: tents
  • General Outdoor Supplies: binoculars
• $250 or less
  • General Outdoor Supplies: outdoor gas or charcoal grills, bicycles
• $300 or less
  • Boating and Water Activity Supplies: paddleboards and surfboards
• $500 or less
  • Boating and Water Activity Supplies: canoes and kayaks

Along with announcing the new tax holiday, DeSantis also renewed the sales tax holidays for Floridians to prepare for hurricane season and back-to-school.

Below is a breakdown of each of those tax holidays:

2021 Disaster Preparedness

Florida's 2021 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday will run from Friday, May 28 through Sunday, June 6.

During the 10-day sales tax holiday period, qualifying items related to disaster preparedness are exempt from sales tax.

Here is a list of qualifying items:

• $20 or less
  • Reusable ice
• $40 or less
  • Portable self-powered light source
• $50 or less
  • Certain portable radios
  • A gas or diesel fuel tank
  • Packages of certain battery types
• $60 of less
  • A nonelectric food storage cooler
  • Portable power banks
• $100 or less
  • Tarps
  • Ground anchor systems or tie-down kits
• $1,000 or less
  • Portable generators for use in a power outage

2021 Back-to-School

The Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday is scheduled from Saturday, July 31 through Monday, Aug. 9.

Here is a list of qualifying items:

• $15 or less, per item
  • School supplies
• $60 or less, per item
  • Clothing and shoes
  • Backpacks, handbags and wallets
• Up to $1,000 per item
  • Personal computers or personal computer-related accessories