Florida's Back-to-School Tax Breaks: What to Know

It's once again that time-honored season kids dread and parents look forward to at the onset of each summer break. The arrival of August marks the impending return of rigid school structures for students, quieter lunches for work-from-home parents, and, as any mom would tell you, the best time to buy anything school-related.

Florida's annual Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday slashes state and county sales taxes on qualified purchases of school supplies and clothes, according to the Florida Department of Revenue. For Broward and Miami-Dade counties, that means 7 percent off of supplies like binders, bags, clothing, and computers.

"With the new school year just around the corner, Florida families can save on back-to-school shopping during the tax holiday for the entire month of August," Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press release. "By cutting taxes, empowering parents, and growing our economy, we're making it easier for people to live, work, and thrive in the Free State of Florida."

Parents with school-age children plan to spend about $858 this year on clothing, shoes, school supplies, and electronics, according to July surveys from the National Retail Federation (NRT) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. K-12 parents are budgeting nearly $295 for electronics, $249 for clothing, $169 for shoes (that'll get the kids almost two pairs of Nike Air Force Ones, nearly three sets of Adidas Sambas, or four pairs of Converse high-top Chuck Taylors), and about $143 for school supplies, according to NRT.

By the retail trade association's estimate, parents have budgeted about $39.4 billion on school-related purchases, up from about $38.8 billion last year. Parents of college students are also expected to spend more this year, about $88.8 billion in 2025 from about $86.8 billion last year.

"This increase can largely be attributed to higher income households, while lower income households are pulling back across categories because of economic uncertainty," Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist said in a press release. "Regardless of income, families want to ensure their students are set up for success. They are cutting back in other areas, using buy now, pay later, or buying used or refurbished items to have everything they need for the school year."

When Is Florida's Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday?

The annual event runs from Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, to Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025.

Which Items Are Covered?

Clothing, footwear, wallets, bags, handbags, backpacks, fanny packs, and diaper bags with a sales price of $100 or less per item are part of the deal, according to the Florida Department of Revenue (FDR). School supplies priced at $50 or less per item, including binders, books, colored pencils, crayons, folders, highlighters, lunch boxes, markers, notebooks, pencils, and scissors, are also part of the tax break. The sales tax holiday gives parents a break on learning aids like jigsaw puzzles with a sales price of $30 or less, and personal computers with a sales price of $1,500 or less.

What Items Aren't Covered?

Suitcases, garment bags, watches, umbrellas, repairs or rentals of eligible items, and sales within a theme park or entertainment complex do not qualify for the break.

Where to Buy?

All Florida retailers selling eligible items are required to participate in the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday, according to FDR.