Anne Geggis
Starting Saturday, the state is letting freedom from sales taxes ring up at the register.
Among the 50 states, no other will have quite the diversity of products eligible for tax-free purchase, for quite the duration as the Sunshine State has in store.
Only Tennessee is having a tax holiday that lasts a whole year, and that tax break covers just gun safes and safety devices, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators. In Florida, though, the state is projecting an average family of four could save up to $1,000 over the next year on everything from diapers to firearm safety items, on top of the other sales tax holidays planned throughout the year.
Then again, no other state has a current Governor running for President.
In announcing a record set of consumer tax breaks, Gov. Ron DeSantis said his hand was forced. He had to give tax relief to Floridians, given the ineptitude of the current occupant of the White House — the one that he’s hoping to replace.
“Because of President (Joe) Biden’s disastrous economic policies, Florida families are feeling the pressure of inflation on their wallets,” DeSantis said in a prepared statement. “But in Florida, we are ensuring that our state’s economic success gets passed on to the people that made it possible.”
Starting July 1, a permanent sales tax break is going into effect for:
— Items for child rearing and tending the elderly: Breaks on diapers, including those for elderly adults with incontinence; baby and toddler products, including clothes, cribs, strollers, monitors, changing tables, breast pumps, wipes and other products are estimated to save consumers $186.2 million per year.
— Oral hygiene: Eliminating sales tax on toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss and mouthwash is projected to save consumers a collective $39.8 million a year.
— Firearm safety and storage devices: Axing sales tax on firearm safes, firearm lockboxes, firearm cases, devices to store a firearm, trigger locks and cable locks are going to save consumers $4.5 million, according to state projections.
— Private investigative services: Services provided by agencies employing three or fewer people are free of sales tax, representing $1.6 million in sales tax the state is giving up.
Other, new July 1 tax breaks that last for a year, until June 30, 2024 are:
— ENERGY STAR appliances: Washers and dryers worth $1,500 or less, water heaters worth $1,500 or less and refrigerators and freezers worth $4,500 or less with the rating from the federal Environmental Protection Agency won’t be subject to the state’s sales tax, offering an expected $79 million in consumer savings.
— Gas ranges and cooktops: Anything fueled by combustible gas like natural gas, propane, butane liquefied petroleum or other flammable gas, not counting the outdoor kind, is exempt from sales taxes, saving consumers $6.3 million.
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Florida Politics staff writer Gray Rohrer contributed to this report.
