Florida ‘Freedom Week’ sales tax holiday ends Thursday

The Florida Freedom Week sales tax holiday ends Thursday, letting you save money on all sorts of summer essentials, and other tax holidays are right around the corner.

From Friday, July 1, until Thursday, July 7, tickets for live music and sporting events will be tax-free, along with supplies for boating, sports, camping, fishing and pools. The Home-Hardening Sales Tax Exemption also goes into effect Friday, making impact-resistant doors, windows and garage doors tax-free for the next two years.

WINK News spoke to Southwest Florida residents shopping at the stores in Page Field Commons, located at the corner of Fowler Street and South Cleveland Avenue. They said they’re not expecting to save too much with these two tax-free holidays because a lot of their money is going right to gas.

“A lot of need for a gas tax holiday, like, federal gas taxes, state gas taxes; you’ll probably save close to 40 to 50 cents a gallon,” said Dave Mottram. “A local tax relief for seven days, it’s nice, but if you don’t have kids, you don’t have other people around, you’re not doing a major project… it helps some people, but other people it’s not going to help.”

Also beginning Friday, until June 30 of next year, is a baby and toddler clothing sales tax exemption, making diapers and clothing for children under 5 tax-free. Another tax-free holiday starts on July 25, known as the 2022 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday, which will also include electronics.

Joanne Longabardi says she knows of people who wait for tax-free holidays like Freedom Week or the one on July 25 to make some major purchases.

“My daughter is waiting for the holiday to buy her son a laptop,” Longabardi said. “He’s going to college and she thought she’d wait until the sales tax-free weekend.”

In October, there will be a one-month fuel tax holiday, projected to save Floridians a collective $200 million by lowering the price of gas by a little more than 25 cents per gallon.