BRADENTON, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday a portion of his tax relief proposal would provide $1.1 billion in tax relief for families if passed by the Legislature in the upcoming session.
During a news conference in Bradenton, DeSantis explained an expansion of the annual Back to School tax holiday and permanent tax exemptions for baby and toddler items were included in the proposal.
Also, if passed, there will be a yearlong tax exemption on other household items families need every day.
“So, this is really, really good to say in the state of Florida, we respect you as taxpayers and we're going to work to lessen the burden on you,” DeSantis said. “We’re going to make sure we run our ship in a really tight fashion…”
According to the governor's office, the proposal includes tax holidays on items often bought by families in the Sunshine State, including:
- Reinstates the two-week Back to School tax holiday for families in the fall and adds an additional two-week holiday in the spring for children returning to school after the winter break. The two holiday periods would save Florida families an estimated $210 million.
- A permanent tax exemption for baby and toddler necessities including diapers, baby wipes, clothing, and shoes for children under the age of 5. This would save Florida families an estimated $132.5 million.
- A permanent tax exemption for cribs and strollers. This will save Florida families an estimated $4 million.
- A permanent tax exemption on items that contain medicinal ingredients and medical equipment to close the gap on medical supplies and equipment that is not sales tax exempt. This would save Florida families an estimated $58.5 million.
- A 1-year tax exemption for household items under $25 like laundry detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, and trash bags. This would save Florida families an estimated $112.3 million.
- A 1-year tax exemption for children’s books for children under 17 years old. This will save Florida families an estimated $16.8 million.
- A 1-year tax exemption for children’s toys designated for children between the ages of 2-12. This would save Florida families an estimated $116 million.
- A 1-year tax exemption for children’s athletic equipment like children’s bikes, footballs, soccer balls, rollerblades, baseballs, baseball bats, etc. This would save Florida families an estimated $33 million.
- A 1-year tax exemption on pet food for household pets and a permanent tax exemption for over-the-counter pet medications such as flea and tick prevention. This would save Florida families with pets an estimated $189 million.
This proposal is in continuation of previous tax holidays set for the 2023-2024 fiscal year like the 2-week Disaster Preparedness Tax Holiday, 1-week Tools and Home Improvement Tax Holiday, 1-week Freedom Week Tax Holiday and 1-year Energy Star Appliance Tax Holiday.
“This is exciting, this is monumental for Floridians as we continue to lead the nation in economic recovery,” Department of Economic Opportunity Secretary Dane Eagle said.
To learn about details on the proposal, click here.
DeSantis also announced earlier this month a legislative proposal to provide discounts on tolls for frequent commuters using any toll roads across the Sunshine State.
At a news conference in Miami, DeSantis explained the proposal will also give Floridians who use tolls transponders like SunPass and E-PASS and have 40 or more transactions in a month a 50 percent credit on their monthly bill.
According to the governor, the Florida Department of Transportation will automatically credit the frequent toll users every month — saving them around $550 over a course of a year.
You can read more about this proposal here.