Apollo Beach and Ruskin families will pay no state sales tax on school supplies, clothing, and computers for 32 straight days starting Monday, July 20, whether shopping in-store or online.
Florida's 2026 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday runs through Thursday, August 20, according to the Florida Department of Revenue. That gives local shoppers two full weekends of tax-free buying before Hillsborough County Public Schools students report for their first day on Monday, August 10, plus 10 additional days after classes begin.
The 32-day window is the longest back-to-school tax break among the 18 states offering one in 2026, USA Today reported July 10. Florida's holiday starts two weeks earlier than in prior years.
What qualifies
The state's eligible list, confirmed on the Department of Revenue's website as of Wednesday, July 16, includes:
- School supplies priced at $50 or less per item
- Clothing, footwear, and accessories priced at $100 or less per item
- Learning aids such as flash cards and puzzle books priced at $30 or less
- Computers and related accessories priced at $1,500 or less
Online purchases that meet the same price thresholds also qualify.
How much families save
Florida's state sales tax rate is 6%. A family spending $200 on qualifying clothing and $100 on school supplies would save roughly $18 in state tax alone. PwC estimates households will spend nearly $922 on back-to-school shopping this year, with almost half planning to spend more than in 2025.
"Back-to-school spending is about commitment, not discretion," Kelly Pedersen, PwC's global retail leader, told USA Today on July 10. "Parents aren't looking for a reason to skip the list; they're looking for ways to absorb a bill they know is coming."
Whether Hillsborough County's additional 1.5% local surtax is also waived on qualifying items has not been confirmed by the state; check floridarevenue.com/BacktoSchool for details.
When to shop
Apollo Beach K-8 School posted the tax holiday announcement on its website Tuesday, July 14, directing families to the state's resource page. The holiday runs Monday, July 20, through midnight Thursday, August 20. The full list of eligible items is at floridarevenue.com/BacktoSchool.
