Florida’s 2025 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday: What You Need to Know

Every August, Florida offers shoppers a chance to save on a wide variety of school-related items during its annual Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday. In 2025, this tax-free period runs from August 1 through August 31, giving families a full month to stock up on essentials without paying sales tax.

What’s Tax-Free?

During this holiday, you won’t owe sales tax on several categories of items — as long as they fall within certain price limits:

• Clothing and accessories: This includes clothes, shoes, wallets, bags, backpacks, fanny packs, and diaper bags priced at $100 or less per item.
• School supplies: Pens, notebooks, binders, markers, glue, rulers, and many other common supplies with a sales price of $50 or less per item qualify.
• Learning aids and puzzles: Educational tools like flashcards, interactive books, memory games, jigsaw puzzles, and similar items priced at $30 or less are included.
• Personal computers and related accessories: Noncommercial personal computers (laptops, tablets, desktops) and accessories with a sales price of $1,500 or less are also exempt.

What’s Not Included?

Not everything qualifies for the tax break. For example, the holiday does not cover:

• Briefcases, suitcases, and garment bags
• Watches, jewelry, umbrellas, and handkerchiefs
• Skis, rollerblades, and swim fins
• Clothing items over $100
• School supplies priced above $50
• Books that aren’t already exempt
• Cell phones, video game consoles, and other non-computer electronic devices
• Computers or accessories used for business purposes
• Rentals, repairs, or alterations of eligible items
• Sales inside theme parks, entertainment complexes, airports, or public lodging establishments

More Details on Learning Aids and School Supplies

Learning aids cover items designed to help kids learn, such as flashcards, matching or memory games, electronic books, stacking blocks, and educational toys focused on reading or math skills. These are tax-free up to $30.

School supplies include everyday essentials like pencils, crayons, notebooks, binders, lunch boxes, markers, glue, scissors, and more, as long as each item costs $50 or less.

Computers and Accessories

Personal computers include laptops, tablets, desktops, e-book readers, and similar devices used primarily for data processing — not phones or gaming consoles. Eligible accessories can include keyboards, mice, monitors without TV tuners, routers, printers, and software that isn’t recreational.

Clothing and Accessories

“Clothing” covers most items worn on the body, including footwear (except specialized sports gear like skis or swim fins). The exemption includes items such as shirts, pants, dresses, shoes, hats, gloves, uniforms, and even costumes — all priced at $100 or less.

Certain baby and toddler clothing for children aged five or younger is always tax-exempt. Bicycle helmets for adults will also be tax-exempt starting August 1, 2025.

Important Shopping Tips

• Items that come as a set with both taxable and exempt components do not qualify for the exemption.
• “Buy one, get one free” deals can’t be split to make both items exempt.
• Orders placed during the holiday through online or remote sellers qualify for the exemption if accepted during the holiday period, even if shipped later.
• Gift cards are not taxable, and purchases made with gift cards during the holiday remain exempt.
• Exchanges of exempt items made after the holiday do not incur tax, but if exchanged for non-exempt items, tax will apply.
• Rain checks and layaway purchases also qualify under certain conditions, primarily related to when the delivery or final payment occurs.
• Shipping and handling charges must be allocated between taxable and exempt items accordingly.

For the latest updates, official forms, and detailed guides, visit Florida’s Department of Revenue website at floridarevenue.com. You can also sign up for tax publications and reminders there.

This extended holiday offers a great opportunity for families to prepare for the school year while saving money. Just be sure to check item prices and categories carefully to make the most of the tax break.