Sales Tax Free Days in Florida.

[swamprat]

No sales tax on clothing, schools supplies, and computers from today through the 16th of August. The retailers are marking everything down to attract business. There are deals everywhere.

 

Tonight, Mrs. S and I ventured out to the Citrus Park Mall. It was like Christmas season. The place was packed. Picked up some clothes for the grandkids at Pennys, there. After fighting the crowd to get out, we decided to go get dinner in Oldsmar. We then went to the Bealls, there. They were staying open until 11.

 

Mrs. S could not find pajamas for my granddaughter at Bealls, but we got some clothes for the youngest grandson and I picked up 2 pairs of sneakers (one New Balance and one Sketchers) and a new fedora, for a song.

 

I've been wanting a new tablet, maybe I'll pick one up this week.

[TAC]

Cincy is doing the same this weekend.

[Eagle2013]

It's not just Cincinnati, it's the whole state of Ohio.

[nees1212]

Ohio's doesn't even come close to what Florida does.

[Sandman]

No sales tax on clothing, schools supplies, and computers from today through the 16th of August. The retailers are marking everything down to attract business. There are deals everywhere.

 

Tonight, Mrs. S and I ventured out to the Citrus Park Mall. It was like Christmas season. The place was packed. Picked up some clothes for the grandkids at Pennys, there. After fighting the crowd to get out, we decided to go get dinner in Oldsmar. We then went to the Bealls, there. They were staying open until 11.

 

Mrs. S could not find pajamas for my granddaughter at Bealls, but we got some clothes for the youngest grandson and I picked up 2 pairs of sneakers (one New Balance and one Sketchers) and a new fedora, for a song.

 

I've been wanting a new tablet, maybe I'll pick one up this week.

 

Awesome deal they have in Florida this time of year. Like you said, Christmas in August. Nifty idea of the state to help retailers and also give families a break at the back to school shopping season.

 

Ohio's deal, not so much.

[The Scribe]

Kentucky is so tax-heavy, it won't happen here anytime soon

[All Tell]

Kentucky is so tax-heavy, it won't happen here anytime soon

 

I'm surprised the idiots in Frankfort haven't tried to institute double sales tax for Christmas and back to school. They LOVE to take other people's money. Of course those greedy morons would limit it to only Louisville and Northern KY.

[All In]

This is a way bigger deal than I even thought. I know people that drive 2 hours or more to go to Tennessee when they have the no sales tax weekends. Would think retailers in Florida will absolutely clean up with having it for so long. Kentucky as usual is bringing up the rear on how to do things.

[HammerTime]

Why do states do this?

[All In]

Why do states do this?

 

Had never heard of it until this weekend for Ohio, then read this thread.

Back to School is right behind Christmas for retailers, huge windfall for them.

[Jim Schue]

No sales tax on clothing, schools supplies, and computers from today through the 16th of August. The retailers are marking everything down to attract business. There are deals everywhere.

 

Tonight, Mrs. S and I ventured out to the Citrus Park Mall. It was like Christmas season. The place was packed. Picked up some clothes for the grandkids at Pennys, there. After fighting the crowd to get out, we decided to go get dinner in Oldsmar. We then went to the Bealls, there. They were staying open until 11.

 

Mrs. S could not find pajamas for my granddaughter at Bealls, but we got some clothes for the youngest grandson and I picked up 2 pairs of sneakers (one New Balance and one Sketchers) and a new fedora, for a song.

 

I've been wanting a new tablet, maybe I'll pick one up this week.

 

What is Florida's state sales tax, and what does your local municipality add on to that?

[Jim Schue]

Why do states do this?

 

Well, Florida does it because they have an onerous sales tax that municipalities can add on to. It's why when you go to Nashville you pay 9.75 percent (unless it's gone up) on everything. So don't act like these "no-tax" states are really that. They just get your money in a different way.

[swamprat]

Well, Florida does it because they have an onerous sales tax that municipalities can add on to. It's why when you go to Nashville you pay 9.75 percent (unless it's gone up) on everything. So don't act like these "no-tax" states are really that. They just get your money in a different way.

 

I don't know what the sales tax situation is in Tennessee, but here, it is really that. No pretending about it. We pay no state sales tax on the items I mentioned in the OP for 10 days.

 

The sales tax structure here is relatively simple, not onerous. Florida state sales tax is 6%. Counties have the option of charging additional sales tax for local revenue. The average county sales tax is 1%, making the total average sales tax 7% for Florida. Where I live, the county sales tax is 1%. Last I checked my math, I pay 1% sales tax for the covered items for the 10 day period, instead of the normal over 7%.

 

The highest county sales tax in Florida is 1.5% and none of the 7 counties that charge that tax contain major metropolitan areas. On the other end of the spectrum, Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miami Gardens) is the second largest county in the state and has no county sales tax, as do 8 other counties.

 

What is onerous about that? It seems pretty straight forward to me. In fact, if anything, it gives county governments the ability to raise their own extra revenue without the state deciding distribution. That's something I, for one, prefer over the state controlling all sales tax revenue distribution. I also like the fact that the county sales tax must be approved by the voters of the county. Those taxes must also have time limitations and/or be renewed by the voters periodically.

 

BTW, the "state sales tax free period" is part of a $700 million tax cut passed by the Florida legislature in June. I know tax cuts are a strange thing to hear about, but as it is pointed out on here often, it is Florida.

[All In]

I do believe out of all those sales tax free states, Florida was the only one that included items such as laptops,ipads and phones. I still don't understand what the huge savings is for ones that spend an hour or two of gas money to cross state lines for this deal.:idunno: Will these same states do/or have done a sales tax free weekend or week for Christmas?

[All Tell]

I don't know what the sales tax situation is in Tennessee, but here, it is really that. No pretending about it. We pay no state sales tax on the items I mentioned in the OP for 10 days.

 

The sales tax structure here is relatively simple, not onerous. Florida state sales tax is 6%. Counties have the option of charging additional sales tax for local revenue. The average county sales tax is 1%, making the total average sales tax 7% for Florida. Where I live, the county sales tax is 1%. Last I checked my math, I pay 1% sales tax for the covered items for the 10 day period, instead of the normal over 7%.

 

The highest county sales tax in Florida is 1.5% and none of the 7 counties that charge that tax contain major metropolitan areas. On the other end of the spectrum, Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miami Gardens) is the second largest county in the state and has no county sales tax, as do 8 other counties.

 

What is onerous about that? It seems pretty straight forward to me. In fact, if anything, it gives county governments the ability to raise their own extra revenue without the state deciding distribution. That's something I, for one, prefer over the state controlling all sales tax revenue distribution. I also like the fact that the county sales tax must be approved by the voters of the county. Those taxes must also have time limitations and/or be renewed by the voters periodically.

 

BTW, the "state sales tax free period" is part of a $700 million tax cut passed by the Florida legislature in June. I know tax cuts are a strange thing to hear about, but as it is pointed out on here often, it is Florida.

 

You left out the best part about Florida's "onerous" tax system. There is no state income tax. Meantime in Kentucky when people re finally getting some relief from high gas prices the greedy buggers in Frankfort raise the gas tax.