Florida shoppers can save on laptops, clothing and backpacks through August 20, back-to-school tax free in full swing
Florida – Back-to-school shopping in Florida comes with an advantage this summer: families have a full month to make their lists, compare prices and avoid paying sales tax on many classroom essentials. The state’s 2026 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday began Monday, July 20, and continues through midnight Thursday, August 20.
The 32-day window covers far more than pencils and notebooks. Depending on the item and its price, shoppers can also buy clothing, backpacks, learning games, laptops and other computer equipment without paying state sales tax or local discretionary sales surtax.
The Florida Department of Revenue confirmed the holiday in Tax Information Publication TIP 26A01-11, issued July 1. Retailers are required to participate and cannot choose to collect tax on qualifying purchases.
Clothing, footwear, wallets and bags priced at $100 or less per item are exempt. That category includes common school-season purchases such as shirts, pants, shoes, handbags, backpacks, fanny packs and diaper bags. Some specialized items, including skis, swim fins, roller blades and skates, do not qualify.
School supplies are tax-free when each item costs $50 or less. The list includes pens, pencils, crayons, notebooks, binders, folders, lunch boxes, markers, construction paper, poster board, glue, scissors, rulers, staplers, paper staples, protractors and compasses.
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Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles qualify at $30 or less per item. Eligible products include flashcards, memory and matching games, puzzle books, search-and-find books, stacking blocks and interactive toys or electronic books designed to teach reading or math skills.
The largest price cap applies to personal computers and certain accessories. Qualifying products costing $1,500 or less are exempt when purchased for noncommercial home or personal use. The covered list includes laptops, desktop computers, tablets, electronic readers, calculators, monitors without television tuners, keyboards, mice, printers, scanners, routers, modems, hard drives, flash drives, headphones and nonrecreational software.
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Several closely related purchases remain taxable. Cellphones, video game consoles, digital media receivers, game software, surge protectors and many device cases are excluded. Briefcases, suitcases, jewelry, watches, umbrellas and garment bags also remain taxable, as do any otherwise eligible items priced above their category’s limit.
The exemption does not apply to rentals, repairs or commercial-use computers. Purchases made inside airports, theme parks, entertainment complexes or public lodging establishments are also excluded.
Price rules can make a difference at checkout. Store discounts and store-issued coupons reduce the sales price and may bring an item under the limit. Manufacturer coupons do not. Items normally packaged as a unit cannot be separated to qualify, and prices in buy-one-get-one-free promotions cannot be averaged across both products.
Online orders qualify when eligible items are purchased during the holiday for immediate shipment, even if delivery occurs after August 20. Gift cards also work, but the qualifying purchase itself must occur during the tax-free period. Layaway purchases can qualify when the item is placed on layaway or delivered during the holiday.
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Same-item exchanges for another size or color remain exempt after the holiday. However, using store credit toward a different taxable product may trigger sales tax on the replacement.
Full guidance and detailed item lists are available at https://floridarevenue.com. Taxpayer Services can be reached at (850) 488-6800 on weekdays, excluding holidays, or by email at [email protected]. The tax break ends at midnight on August 20.
