Florida’s sales tax holiday hits as hurricane season begins

Runs from June 1 through June 14

ORLANDO, Fla. – As Florida’s disaster preparedness sales tax holiday begins Saturday, retailers are preparing for an influx of shoppers getting ready for hurricane season.

The two-week holiday period is from June 1 through June 14 and during that time, qualifying items related to disaster preparedness are exempt from sales tax.

Advance Auto Parts said its more than 500 locations in the state are offering hurricane supplies.

Anthony Dominicci is the Orlando district manager and said the items available include portable generators, household batteries, fuel containers, bungee cords, flashlights and tarps.

“They can save a lot of money when you’re looking at those items, so it’s a great opportunity for Floridians to come in and take advantage of the savings,” Dominicci said.

While grabbing supplies, Dominicci said shoppers are also able to use the free curbside services at Advance Auto Parts to ensure their vehicles are in safe operating condition in the event of an evacuation.

The services include battery testing and installation, plus wiper blade installation.

“It’s better to do it now and make sure it’s 100% good to go in case of an emergency than have it not work when you actually need it to,” Dominicci said.

For a full list of tax-exempt items and answers to frequently asked questions, click here.

Listen to Talk To Tom in the media player below: