Hurricane prep evolves as sales tax holiday for supplies hits 20-year mark

Hurricane prep evolves as sales tax holiday for supplies hits 20-year mark

This summer will mark the 20th year that the state of Florida has encouraged residents to prepare for hurricane season by offering a tax-free period to purchase critical supplies.

The incentive has saved Floridians millions of dollars, but most importantly, the Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday has undoubtedly saved Floridians’ lives.

Over the past two decades, the sales tax exemption has grown from covering a few essentials to a comprehensive list extending well beyond what is traditionally considered a hurricane supply.

In that first year, tax discounts were limited to purchases of flashlights, lanterns, gas cans, batteries, coolers, first aid kits, two-way radios, tarps, and generators. Today, those items are still tax-free during the holiday, but the list now includes items needed to prepare one’s home for a hurricane and ride out a storm at home or evacuate the region.

With hurricanes, we learn as we go. Below are four areas in which Florida has updated the sales tax holiday to ensure residents are prepared:

WYNN

¦ Pets: Dogs, cats and other animals are now included in the list of approved storm-prep purchases. Tax-exempt items during the sales tax holiday include food, medication, leashes, pet carriers, pet beds, collapsable food bowls, cat litter, pet waste bags and can openers. Floridians evacuate with their pets, which is why many shelters around the state now accept pets; the state also encourages hotels to modify pet policies when evacuation orders are issued.

¦ Power: During the first sales tax holiday in 2005, Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy were still under development. Today, smartphones are our lifelines — the top source of news and information as a storm lands. Since steady use quickly drains a phone’s battery, the state added portable charging banks to ensure Floridians have a backup power source should the power grid fail because of downed lines and transformers.

¦ Prices: The sales tax holiday restricts certain supplies possibly considered luxury (or for commercial use) based on price points. For example, a Yeti Roadie cooler would not qualify for an exemption, but many Igloo or Ace-branded coolers would. That said, state lawmakers have recognized the need to increase the price limits of supplies eligible for an exemption. For example, in year one, only generators priced below $750 qualified as tax-free. Today, that upper limit is $3,000.

¦ Protection: Carbon monoxide poisoning from improper generator use is among the leading causes of hurricane related deaths. As a result, the state added carbon monoxide detectors to the tax-free list in 2022. Fires also can occur because of stoves left on when the power went out or ruptured gas lines, so smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are now on the list, too.

Lawmakers deserve credit for recognizing that the relatively nominal costs to the state of these tax exemptions — estimated at nearly $50 million in 2024 — are meager compared to the potential loss of lives if residents aren’t fully prepared.

This year, Florida plans to observe two Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holidays: June 1-14, which coincides with the start of hurricane season, and Aug. 24 through Sept. 6, which falls immediately before the historical peak of hurricane season.

Now is the time to take an inventory of your home. Then, bring that list to a local retailer during the sales tax holiday, and you’ll rest comfortably knowing your family is prepared for hurricane season. ¦

— Michael Wynn is president of Sunshine Ace Hardware, which operates 15 hardware, paint and gift stores, and Ace Handyman Services of Southwest Florida. For store locations and operating hours, please visit SunshineAce. com.

The post Hurricane prep evolves as sales tax holiday for supplies hits 20-year mark first appeared on Bonita Springs Florida Weekly .