With the state’s Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday around the corner, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) is urging parents to take advantage of the savings that come with it.

On Wednesday, the nonprofit government watchdog highlighted the upcoming holiday period, which begins Saturday, July 31 and runs through Monday, August 9. FTW specifically noted in a press release the items free of sales tax, including school supplies up to $15, clothing up to $60, and the first $1,000 on the price of a personal computer. During this period, parents will get a break from the state’s 6% sales tax.

“Florida TaxWatch encourages parents to use the upcoming Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday as an opportunity to engage their children in shopping for clothes and supplies, exciting them about returning to the classroom after a stressful school year that, as noted in our recent report, Beyond the Pandemic: Long-Term Changes and Challenges for K-12 Education in Florida, certainly took a toll on both their learning experience and their mental health,” said Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro. 

To help with costs amidst the pandemic, a sales-tax holiday on certain school supplies was approved during the 2021 Legislative Session. The 10-day period is expected to save shoppers $69.4 million in state and local taxes.

“From an economic perspective, parents should also take advantage of this tax cut because it will save them a perceptible amount of money – approximately $69.4 million* in total – which could help those facing financial constraints, Calabro continued. “We commend Governor Ron DeSantis, Senate President Wilton Simpson, House Speaker Chris Sprowls, and the legislature for ensuring this benefit was made available to Florida families once again, especially this year.”

The annual back-to-school sales tax holiday, first offered in 1998, was expanded to 10 days this year, giving busy parents more time to prepare for their children as they head back to school. The 10-day discount period has only been offered two other times — 2007 and 2015. Last year, the holiday lasted three days.

The new school year is just around the corner, and Florida families can enjoy 10 days of savings during the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday! Shop select items tax-free July 31 – August 9. #TaxFreeWeekend #BacktoSchool pic.twitter.com/izLYTzV0Yi

— Florida Senate (@FLSenate) July 27, 2021