‘That’s some significant savings”: Ron DeSantis promotes back to school sales tax holiday
It’s nearing the end of Summer and families are beginning preparations for a new school year. Now, Gov. Ron DeSantis is promoting the new permanent sales tax holiday in August for school supplies.
“I would just urge Floridians to take advantage of it,” DeSantis said, speaking Monday at a press conference in Panama City Beach. “You have the entire month of August where you can go and prepare for your kids to go back to school.”
Last month, DeSantis signed the budget, including a measure that permanently creates a sales tax break for school supplies every August in starting this Friday.
That includes most school supplies under $50; clothing; footwear and other apparel that are $100 or less; learning aides for $30 or less; and personal computers and certain accessories for $1,500 or less, the Governor said.
“You’re talking about families that they got to buy a computer, they got to buy some of these things — that’s some significant savings,” DeSantis said.
During the press conference, DeSantis invoked a few relatable moments for parents as he spoke about realizing Summer was almost over.
“We got a rising third grader, rising second grader, rising kindergartner. I think the First Lady and I are kind of at the point in the Summer where we’re looking forward to school,” DeSantis said, garnering a few chuckles from the crowd.
Other sales tax holidays approved by lawmakers this year cover items such as firearms and ammunition as well as hurricane preparedness.
DeSantis also brought up the repeal of business rent sales tax — another change emerging out of Session this year. The Florida Chamber of Commerce and other industry groups lobbied for the tax to get eliminated.
“We were the only state in the country that taxed commercial rent. And that is a drag,” DeSantis said. “It didn’t make sense in terms of economic growth and opportunity and so we actually eliminated that tax and so we’re no longer the only state that does that.”
Gabrielle Russon is an award-winning journalist based in Orlando. She covered the business of theme parks for the Orlando Sentinel. Her previous newspaper stops include the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Toledo Blade, Kalamazoo Gazette and Elkhart Truth as well as an internship covering the nation’s capital for the Chicago Tribune. For fun, she runs marathons. She gets her training from chasing a toddler around. Contact her at gabriellerusson@gmail.com or on Twitter @GabrielleRusson .