TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A new bill filed last week aims to make a bunch of tax changes, including a couple of tax holidays later this year.
That bill — HB 7031 — was filed by the Ways & Means Committee on Thursday, and it aims to make plenty of changes regarding issues like sales tax exemptions, property taxes, and much more.
However, the bill also features some provisions on sales tax holidays that lawmakers want to see later this year.
BACK TO SCHOOL
One of these involves the back-to-school tax holiday, which was made permanent last year. Current law states that the holiday will run through the entire month of August annually.
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However, House lawmakers are instead trying to pull the tax holiday back a bit.
More specifically, HB 7031 would move the tax holiday to July 20 - Aug. 20 instead. The following items would be sales tax-exempt during this timeframe.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Clothing | $100 or less |
| Footwear | $100 or less |
| Wallets | $100 or less |
| Handbags, backpacks, fanny packs and diaper bags | $100 or less |
| Pens, pencils, crayons, markers and erasers | $50 or less |
| Notebooks, legal pads, binders and construction paper | $50 or less |
| Lunch boxes | $50 or less |
| Glue and paste | $50 or less |
| Scissors | $50 or less |
| Cellophane tape | $50 or less |
| Rulers | $50 or less |
| Computer disks | $50 or less |
| Staplers and staples | $50 or less |
| Protractors and compasses | $50 or less |
| Flashcards and other learning cards | $30 or less |
| Jigsaw puzzles, memory games, and other learning books | $30 or less |
| Personal computers and related accessories | $1,500 or less |
HUNTING, FISHING AND CAMPING
The other tax holiday that could come later this year is the return of the “Hunting, Fishing and Camping” sales tax holiday.
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The legislation would set up this one to run from Sept. 1 - Dec. 31. The following items would be sales tax-exempt during this timeframe.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Ammunition | -- |
| Firearms | -- |
| Bows and crossbows | -- |
| Arrows, bolts, quarrels and quivers | -- |
| Releases, sights/optics and wristguards for bows | -- |
| Rods and reels (sold individually) | $75 or less |
| Rods and reels (sold as a set) | $150 or less |
| Tackle boxes or bags | $30 or less |
| Bait or fishing tackle (sold individually) | $5 or less |
| Bait or fishing tackle (sold together) | $10 or less |
| Tents | $200 or less |
| Sleeping bags or portable hammocks | $50 or less |
| Collapsible camping chairs | $50 or less |
| Camping stoves | $50 or less |
| Camping lanterns and flashlights | $30 or less |