TALLAHASSEE — On April 12 the Florida House reviewed and passed a proposed committee bill that renews tax holidays and expands cost savings to Floridians and Florida businesses.

The proposed legislation renews and expands three historic sales tax holidays for Florida consumers to prepare for the summer holiday, hurricane season and back-to-school. It also renews the Tool Time Sales Tax Holiday, which supports Florida trade workers with cost savings on essential supplies and tools.

“We are grateful to the Florida House for proposing meaningful tax relief to Florida families and encouraging shoppers to support their local Florida retail stores,” said Scott Shalley, president and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation. “These tax-free holidays and tax exemptions help hard-working families save on essentials. Floridians can stock up at their local retail stores, which in turn supports local jobs and their community.”

The bill expands the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday into two 14-day periods in the summer and winter. Previously known as the Freedom Week Sales Tax Holiday, the newly-branded Freedom Summer Sales Tax Holiday would increase the tax-exemption period to three months beginning during Memorial Day Weekend and running through Labor Day Weekend.

The tax holidays are scheduled to occur during the following dates for the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year:

• Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday: May 27 - June 9, 2023
• Freedom Summer Sales Tax Holiday: May 29 - Sept. 4, 2023
• Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday: July 24 - Aug. 6, 2023; Jan. 1 - Jan. 14, 2024
• Tool Time Sales Tax Holiday: Sept. 2 - Sept. 8, 2023

The additional savings include permanent tax exemptions for certain baby and toddler products and clothes, adult incontinence products, oral hygiene products, machinery and equipment to produce renewable natural gas, certain agricultural fencing and small private investigative agency services.

The proposed package also offers a one-year exemption for certain Energy Star-certified refrigerators, refrigerator/freezer combinations, water heaters, clothes washers and dryers. Floridians would also benefit from a one-year exemption for gas ranges and cooktops.

Florida businesses would also receive a reduction of the business rent tax from 5.5% to 4.5% effective July 1, 2023, according to the Florida House proposal. The Florida Retail Federation was instrumental in the passage of E-fairness legislation in 2021, to further reduce business rent tax to 2.0% in the fall of 2024.

The proposed tax legislation was introduced by the Florida House on Wednesday and passed in a 28-0 vote in the Ways & Means Committee.

About the Florida Retail Federation
The Florida Retail Federation is the statewide trade association representing retailers -- the businesses that sell directly to consumers. Florida retailers contribute $239 billion to the economy every year and support 3.6 million jobs for Florida families, or nearly one-third of all jobs in the state. Florida retailers pay more than $69 billion in wages annually and collect and remit more than $35 billion in sales taxes for Florida’s government each year.