Back-to-school shopping: Florida tax holiday, budget tips and where to find help

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Florida families have a new reason to start back-to-school shopping early. Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a tax package establishing a permanent back-to-school sales tax holiday, running July 20 through August 20 each year.

The holiday was part of the $117.6 billion state budget DeSantis signed Monday. For a full list of qualifying items, visit flgov.com.

The timing aligns with a broader national trend. Sixty-seven percent of shoppers began buying school items in July last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

How to spread out costs and find help for Back-to-school shopping is this weeks, Watching Your Wallet.

Cherry Dale, vice president of financial education at Virginia Credit Union, said shopping gradually throughout the summer can prevent a financial crunch closer to the school year.

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Back-to-school costs now extend beyond supplies to include shoes, clothing and activity-related expenses.

“Maybe just get a few things here and there and then it’s not so heavy,” Dale said. “When you are in the fall and thinking, ‘oh my goodness, I need to go.’ Now, some states do have that tax free weekend to go and get your supplies. So, if they do, you might want to take advantage of that and mark your calendar as of when that is.”

Dale said schools can be a direct resource for families who are struggling to cover the basics.

“If you’re struggling, I would reach directly to your school because many, many schools partner with different organizations and they are provided with free backpacks, with clothes, with extra supplies that they can help supply families with that would like assistance with the basics as far as that goes,” Dale said.

Dale said parents should plan ahead, stick to a list and bring their child along to teach bargain shopping at an early age. For older children, she said contributing to school expenses — including through a part-time job — is also an option.