Florida’s back-to-school sales tax started Monday and runs through Aug. 6.

This is one of two back-to-school sales tax holidays this school year, with another coming up as the second semester begins and taking place from Jan. 1-14, 2024.

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In addition to shopping, there are several opportunities to get your children ready for the new school year.

The Mall at Wellington has two back-to-school events coming up:

Back to School Teen Vision Board Workshop, 2 to 5 p.m. Aug. 3 in The District at Wellington Green. Cost is $15. Set goes for the upcoming school year with help from a professional life coach who will lead teens to create a vision board of their social, academic and personal goals. Supplies are included. Participants should bring magazines or other visuals of interest. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Registration is required. For more information or to register, click here.

Kids Club Back to School Bash, 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 5 in The Grand Court at Wellington Green. Free to attend. Activities include canvas painting, airbrush tattoos, balloon twisters, music and entertainment. Snacks will be provided. Representatives will be on hand from several after-school sports and activities. For more information, click here.

Here’s what you need to know about the back-to-school sales tax holiday, according to the Florida Department of Revenue:

During the sales tax holiday period, tax is not due on the retail sale of:

• Clothing, footwear and certain accessories with a sales price of $100 or less per item
• Certain school supplies with a sales price of $50 or less per item
• Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles with a sales price of $30 or less
• Personal computers and certain computer-related accessories with a sales price of $1,500 or less, when purchased for noncommercial home or personal use

What counts as a learning aid item?

• Electronic books
• Flashcards
• Interactive books
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Learning cards
• Matching games
• Memory games
• Puzzle books
• Search-and-find books
• Stacking or nesting blocks or sets
• Toys that teach reading or math skills

What are some of the exempt clothing and accessories?

• Accessories:
  • Barrettes and bobby pins
  • Belt buckles
  • Bow ties
  • Hairnets, bows, clips and hairbands
  • Handbags
  • Neckwear
  • Ponytail holders
  • Scarves
  • Ties
  • Wallets

• Aerobic and fitness clothing
• Aprons and clothing shields
• Athletic supporters
• Baby clothes
• Backpacks and book bags
• Bandanas
• Baseball cleats
• Bathing suits, caps and cover-ups
• Belts
• Bibs
• Bicycle helmets for young people
• Blouses
• Boots (except ski or fishing boots)
• Bowling shoes
• Braces and supports worn to correct or alleviate a physical incapacity or injury
• Bras
• Choir and altar clothing
• Cleated and spiked shoes
• Clerical vestments
• Coats
• Coin purses
• Costumes
• Coveralls
• Diaper Bags
• Diapers and diaper inserts
• Dresses
• Fanny packs
• Fishing vests
• Formal clothing
• Gloves – dress, garden, leather and work
• Graduation caps and gowns
• Gym suits and uniforms
• Hats and caps
• Hosiery and pantyhose
• Hunting vests
• Jackets
• Jeans
• Lab coats
• Leggings, tights and leg warmers
• Leotards
• Lingerie
• Martial arts attire
• Overshoes and rubber shoes
• Pants
• Purses
• Raincoats, rain hats and ponchos
• Receiving blankets
• Religious clothing
• Robes
• Safety clothing
• Safety shoes
• Scout uniforms
• Shawls and wraps
• Shirts
• Shoe inserts and insoles
• Shoes, including athletic
• Shoulder pads
• Shorts
• Ski suits for snow
• Skirts
• Sleepwear – nightgowns and pajamas
• Slippers
• Slips
• Socks
• Suits, slacks and jackets
• Suspenders
• Sweatbands
• Sweaters
• Swimsuits and trunks
• Ties
• Tuxedos
• Underclothes
• Uniforms – work, school and athletic, excluding pads
• Vests

What are some examples of exempt school supplies?

• Binders
• Calculators
• Cellophone tape
• Colored pencils
• Compasses
• Composition books
• Computer discs (blank CDs)
• Construction paper
• Crayons
• Erasers
• Folders
• Glue (stick and liquid)
• Highlighters
• Legal pads
• Lunch boxes
• Markers
• Notebook filler paper
• Notebooks
• Paste
• Pencils, including mechanical and refills
• Pens, including felt, ballpoint, fountain, highlighters and refills
• Poster board
• Poster paper
• Protractors
• Rulers
• Scissors
• Staplers and staples

For a complete list with examples of what is exempt during the 2023 back-to-school sales tax holiday, click here.

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