Sneakerheads rejoice: Ben Albritton proposes eliminating sales tax on most clothes and shoes

Adidas shoes. Image via AP.

Adidas walk through concert doors. Now, Senate President Ben Albritton hopes a sales tax cut on sneakers will roam all over the Senate floor.

As the Senate leader unveiled the upper chamber’s tax cut proposals this Session, he presented a sales tax on most clothes and shoes as the centerpiece of his plans. Albritton argues in a memo to Senators that Florida should treat wardrobe, like food, as an essential.

“I love going out to eat as much as anybody else, but the fact is — eating at restaurants is a luxury, that’s why grocery store food is tax free. So is medicine. So are diapers,” Albritton wrote in the memo. “For my part, I’d rather keep attacking and eliminating taxes on essentials that people need day in and day out. We know this kind of savings will make an impact Floridians feel.”

That’s a different approach from House Speaker Daniel Perez, who has pushed to cut the state sales tax on any goods across the board from 6% to 5.25%.

Meanwhile, Gov. Ron DeSantis hopes to see rebates on property taxes for homeowners this year, but neither chamber of the Legislature appears in a posture to consider his proposals halfway through Session. Albritton does support putting some property tax relief measures on the statewide ballot.

Albritton said he wants instead to look at deeper sales tax cuts on certain items while otherwise leaving the state rate alone.

He said the purchase of luxury goods doesn’t demand relief. He wants to eliminate sales tax completely for garb and footwear, but only for items priced at $75 or less.

“Targeting tax relief to clothing and shoes priced at $75 or less covers clothes for growing kids and teenagers as well as essential items adults and seniors have to replace more frequently due to normal wear and tear,” he said.

That means sneakerheads shopping for a pair of Unicorn Neoprenes at Neiman Marcus will still have to pay a full 6% tax on the kicks. More conservative shoppers who just want to sport a pair of Pumas can settle at the register without paying any sales levy to the state.

While Albritton still wants to see a back-to-school sales tax holiday for school supplies and personal computers, most of the clothing purchases concentrated during that period would become tax-free year-round, which may diminish the economic burst retailers often enjoy during that temporary period.

But Albritton stressed in his memo that kids don’t only need new clothes in August.

“Every year during our back-to-school tax holiday, we see an increase in spending on clothes,” he wrote. “The problem is, we all know that life doesn’t always wait for a sales tax holiday. Kids grow, mom has a new job interview, or grandpa needs walking shoes — things come up, and year-round, permanent savings on essentials matters.”

Full details about the proposal are not yet available, but Albritton said a Senate Proposed Bill on the sales tax plan will roll out this week as SPB 7034.