In our last post, we talked about how great the St. Johns County School System is. We went over all of the statistics that illustrate why St. Johns County is the preferred destination for anyone looking to buy a home in Jacksonville. The reason we chose to focus on schools is because July is coming to an end, and that means Back to School time is already here again.
Getting ready to send your kids off to school can be an expensive proposition, whether they’re starting Kindergarten or heading off to college. You’ve got to make sure your kids have clothes to wear, pens and pencils to write with, notebooks to write in, a backpack to store it all inside of, and maybe even a laptop or tablet if your children are in college.
Contemplating all of that spending can be seriously stressful. That’s why we’re so excited to let you know that the State of Florida is here to offer a helping hand.
As you might know, every year Florida has a Back to School sales tax holiday. This year, the holiday will run from 12:01 AM on August 4 through 11:59 PM on August 6. It’s a way to lessen the financial impact of all that back to school shopping, and for families with multiple school-age children, it’s an incredible blessing.
During the Holiday, a host of important items are exempt from all sales tax. That means your family can save up to 7% on all of your back to school shopping.
It’s important to note that the Holiday doesn’t cover every purchase you make, only the ones relevant to the back to school shopping season. Clothes, shoes, and accessories up to $60 in value are exempt from sales tax. All school supplies, things like pencils, paper, notebooks, and backpacks up to $15 are also exempt.
The most exciting aspect is that electronics including computers, tablets, printers, and laptops are all exempt from sales tax as well, as long as they cost under $750!
According to the National Retail Federation, an average family with school-age children will spend $688 this year on back to school shopping. That means that this tax exemption will save most families around $50! How’s that for a bonus?
Whether you’re trying to prepare your kids for school or just pick up a new iPad for yourself, the Back to School sales tax holiday is an incredible opportunity to save some money. So plan ahead and get as much of your shopping done as you can from August 4th through the 6th!