TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida's popular back-to-school sales tax holiday is returning this year and starts Friday.
Shoppers will not have to pay sales taxes on clothing items worth $75 or less or on school supplies that cost $15 or less.
To Betty Brown, the tax-free weekend is like a warm up for Black Friday.
"Tax-free baby, are you kidding? Anything tax-free. It's great. You can't beat that," said Brown.
She's shopping for her son who goes to Carver Middle School.
Grandma is helping out too, but this year they're getting the deals early.
Some school districts are starting earlier, so the state moved the tax-free holiday up one week.
The tax holiday started at 12:01 a.m. on Friday and runs until Sunday night.
Florida has a two-page list of what's tax-free and what's not. The tax break applies to most clothing items including shoes but does not apply to watches, umbrellas or jewelry. School supplies such as tape, crayons, pencils and notebook paper are tax-free, but this year's break does not apply to books.
There are also limits to where you can get away without paying taxes. The sales tax break does not apply to anything purchased at a theme park, hotel or at an airport.
Even without taxing some merchandise, experts say the tax-free holiday increases revenue because it encourages people to spend more on things that are taxed.
"It's got to be a lot of money because he's in the eighth grade. You know how that goes," said Ruthie Stewart, Betty Brown's mom.
In previous years, state lawmakers authorized a 10-day sales tax holiday, but they have kept it shorter the last three years.
Brown said her pocketbook will take any relief it can get.
"You have to get as much as you can as quick as you can," said Brown.
For Lisa Davis and her four kids, it's like Christmas.
"I think it's fun. I like tax-free, and I look forward to it every year," Davis said.
Parents across Florida are expected to spend tens of millions of dollars over the next three days, and Davis said she was already throwing her money in that pot.
"I think it's a good idea for some of the parents who don't have," she said.
WFTV
