Big Changes to Florida Sales Tax Holidays This Year: What to Know Now
This year’s Florida state budget changed how and when Floridians get tax relief at the register. With inflation stretching household budgets, lawmakers made sales tax reform a priority during the 2025 legislative session.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 7031 into law on June 30, 2025, with a $1.3 billion tax package within the state’s $117 billion budget.
Among other things, the new law updates and changes the usual sales tax holidays and introduces some permanent sales tax exemptions.
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Curious about what this means for your shopping experience in the Sunshine State this year? Here’s more to know.
Florida sales tax holidays 2025
As mentioned, Florida’s FY 2025-26 state budget ushers in some notable changes to how residents receive sales tax relief.
Last year, Florida offered several short-term sales tax holidays, including a two-week back-to-school holiday in January and another in late summer, as well as other themed exemptions, like “Freedom Month” in July and a disaster preparedness period.
Those holidays were scattered throughout the year and each lasted only a few days to a couple of weeks.
For 2025, the state has adopted a simpler approach. Instead of multiple brief holidays, there are just two major ones.
Some key points:
- Florida’s new tax law restructures the state’s tax holidays, making the popular back-to-school tax-free holiday permanent each August and introducing a new sales tax holiday for hunting, fishing, and camping gear.
- The legislation also creates several year-round exemptions on essential items. As of July 1, 2025, products like select disaster preparedness supplies, safety equipment, sunscreen, insect repellent, and even state park admissions are no longer subject to sales tax. (More on all of that below.)
- A change for the business community is the elimination of state sales tax on commercial property leases, effective October 1, 2025.
Longer Florida back-to-school tax-free holiday
You may remember that last year, Florida offered an additional back-to-school sales tax holiday in January. That holiday won’t return for 2025.
Instead, the summer back-to-school sales tax holiday in Florida has been made permanent. Lawmakers also expanded the tax-free shopping period to cover an entire month each year: from August 1st through August 31st.
So, families no longer need to squeeze their shopping into a single week or weekend. But, per usual, tax savings extend to a range of items.
- This includes clothing and footwear priced at $100 or less per item, school supplies at $50 or less each, learning aids and puzzles at up to $30, and personal computers for non-business use at up to $1,500.
- Items above those limits or intended for commercial use remain taxable.
State officials say the broader window allows shoppers to plan purchases and relieve some financial strain as the back-to-school season begins.
*Stay tuned to Kiplinger for more information on the newly expanded back-to-school tax-free month.
New sales tax break for outdoor gear
For the first time, Florida introduces a dedicated Hunting, Fishing & Camping Sales Tax Holiday, stretching from September 8 through December 31, 2025.
Florida is offering a new nearly four-month sales tax holiday.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
- Eligible items include tents priced up to $200, sleeping bags, hammocks, collapsible chairs, and stoves priced up to $50 each, as well as lanterns and flashlights priced up to $30.
- Fishing rods, reels, tackle, and some combinations are subject to specific caps, while many hunting supplies, including firearms, bows, and ammunition, are also tax-free without a fixed price limit.
The nearly four-month duration can allow families and enthusiasts to stock up for outdoor activities and storm season.
Permanent Florida sales tax exemption for select items
Alongside changes to the timing of sales tax holidays, the new Florida tax bill introduces several year-round exemptions designed to lower the cost of everyday essentials.
- As of July 1, 2025, various disaster preparedness items, including select batteries, portable generators, fuel containers, tarps, and tie-down kits, are exempt from Florida sales tax.
- Safety-related products like fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, life jackets, bicycle helmets, sunscreen, and insect repellent are now permanently sales tax-free.
- Access to Florida’s state parks is also now tax-free, as are (as of August 2025) sales of gold, silver, or platinum bullion.
These measures are part of a broader strategy by lawmakers to offer Floridians more consistent, practical savings on everyday purchases throughout the year.
Florida sales tax: Is it 7%?
As of July 2025, the statewide sales tax rate in Florida is 6%, with some exceptions.
However, on top of that, most counties impose a local surtax — often around 1% — which brings the typical combined sales tax rate in many areas just above 7%.
Although in some cases, like Hillsborough County, for example, a 1.5% discretionary tax pushes the total rate to as high as 7.5%.
The statewide rate hasn’t changed for 2025, but you may notice higher overall totals depending on where you shop in the state.
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