The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins this Saturday and to help Floridians prepare, the first Florida Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday will also kick off.
The Florida Department of Revenue is allowing consumers to buy hurricane preparedness supplies without paying sales taxes from June 1 – June 14. If you miss the first tax holiday, the second one will begin on August 24 and will run through September 6.
Earlier this month, the Climate Adaptation Center urged people to have a hurricane plan before hurricane season begins. It’s also important to have hurricane supplies before storms develop.
Having the proper supplies on hand is key to being prepared during this year’s hurricane season, which lasts through the end of November. Keep your supplies in an easy-to-carry emergency-preparedness kit that you can use at home or take with you in case you must evacuate.
At a minimum, you should have these basic supplies:
- Water: one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home).
- Food: non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home).
- Flashlight.
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible).
- Extra batteries.
- First aid kit.
- Medications (7-day supply) and medical items.
- Multi-purpose tool, like a Swiss Army knife.
- Sanitation and personal hygiene items.
- Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies).
- Cell phone with charger.
- Family and emergency contact information.
- Extra cash (ATMs might be inoperable).
- Extra fuel for generator and car.
Depending on your family’s requirements, you may need to include: medical-care items, baby supplies, pet supplies and other things, such as extra car and house keys.
Additional supplies might include towels, plastic sheeting, duct tape, scissors and work gloves.
Have a hurricane plan now, before storms threaten your area.
There are several items included on this year’s tax-exempt list along with flashlights, generators, batteries, pet food and several household products.
Below is a sample list of qualifying items:
- Flashlights and lanterns costing $40 or less
- Reusable ice costing $20 or less
- Radios costing $50 or less
- Tarps and ground anchors or tie down kits costing $100 or less
- Coolers and portable power banks costing $60 or less
- Batteries and fuel tanks costing $50 or less
- Smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide detectors costing $70 or less
- Generators costing $3,000 or less
Read the full list of eligible items.
The sales tax holiday does not apply to the rental or repair of any of the qualifying items. Additionally, the sales tax holiday does not apply to sales in a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishment or airport.
For further information on qualifying items, including supplies for pets during a storm, you can call the Florida Department of Revenue at 850-488-6800 or click on this link.