- Florida’s tax-free weeks for hurricane and other disaster supplies run through May 9.
- A second two-week period has been added in late August and early September.
- Eligible items include everything from toilet paper to pet supplies.
Some of the most popular items people stock up on ahead of a storm or hurricane, including toilet paper and batteries, are exempt from sales tax in Florida through May 9.
It’s part of the state’s annual two-week disaster preparedness tax holiday, which kicked off Saturday. A second two-week tax-exempt period for disaster supplies has been added this year, too. It will run from Aug. 26 to Sept. 8, leading into what is statistically the peakof hurricane season.
Dozens of eligible items are among the hurricane supplies that can be purchased tax-free, some of which obvious and others not so much.
(MORE: 7 Things Florida Newcomers Should Know About Hurricane Season)
Here’s a list of some of the things you can buy, according to the state’s Department of Revenue. Any dollar amount listed is the maximum sales price per item that can be exempt from taxes.
Supplies For Power Outages
Workers help residents at Home Depot in Florida where they were buying generator equipment and other supplies on Aug. 29, 2019, as they prepared for Hurricane Dorian. Residents can plan ahead by shopping during the state’s Disaster Preparedness Tax Holiday.
(MICHELE EVE SANDBERG/AFP via Getty Images)
-Portable generators, $3,000
-A tarp or similar covering, $100
-A smoke detector, smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector, $70
-Nonelectric coolers, $60
-Portable power banks, $60
-Portable self-powered radios, two-way radios, or weather-band radios, $50.
-Batteries, $50
-Flashlights, candles or lanterns, $40
(MORE: An Unnamed January Subtropical Storm Kicked Off Hurricane Season Early, NHC Says)
Supplies For Health, Cleaning And Sanitation
Mark Garcia washes his hands outside of his tent home on Jan. 25, 2023, in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Garcia is using three tents and a camping trailer to live in after his house was destroyed last year by Hurricane Ian.
(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
-Reusable ice packs, $20
-Laundry detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets, stain remover, bleach
-Dish soap, dish detergent, dishwasher rinse agents
-Toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, tissues
-Body wash, soap, hand sanitizer
-Cleaning or disinfecting wipes and sprays
-Trash bags
(MORE: El Niño Could Influence Where Hurricanes Go This Season)
Supplies For Evacuating With Pets
A woman carries her dog as people arrive at a shelter at Alico Arena where thousands of Floridians rode out. Hurricane Irma on Sept. 9, 2017, in Fort Myers, Florida. Pet supplies are among dozens of items that are exempt from sales tax during Florida’s disaster preparedness tax holiday weeks.
(Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
-Bags of dry cat or dog food weighing 50 pounds or less, $100
-Portable kennels or pet carriers, $100
-Over-the-counter pet medications, $100
-Pet beds, $40
-Cat litter bags 25 pounds or less, $25
-Leashes, collars, muzzles, $20
-Pet pads, $20
-Manual can openers, $15
-Collapsible or travel-sized food or water bowls, $15
-Cat litter pans, pet waste disposal bags, $15
-Hamster or rabbit substrate, $15
-Wet food costing $10 or less per can or pouch, or priced the equivalent if sold in a box or case
Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
