By Staff Report
As the first named tropical system of the year reaches Mexico’s Pacific coast, Floridians are invited to participate in a two-week tax holiday that will allow them to purchase disaster preparedness essentials tax-free.
Florida’s Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday will run from Saturday, May 28, to Friday, June 10 this year.
HB 7071, the largest tax relief package in Florida’s history, which was signed into law earlier this month, extended the this tax holiday from 10 days to 14 days.
This year, household pet supplies such as pet food, leashes, collars, beds and portable kennels are also included in the list of items eligible to be purchased tax-free.
Floridians are expected to save $25.6 million on the purchase of tax-free items such as flashlights, radios, tarps, batteries and fire extinguishers. This is more than double compared to the $10.5 million Floridians saved during the 2021 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday.
“Preparing for hurricanes and other natural disasters can be costly, especially with ongoing inflation continuing to impact our nation,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This year, the Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday has been extended to a full two weeks to ensure Floridians are receiving the maximum amount of savings and have enough time to prepare for hurricane season.”
Qualifying disaster preparedness supplies include:
- Pet leashes, collars, muzzles and pads costing $20 or less;
- Flashlights, lanterns and pet beds costing $40 or less;
- Batteries and weather radios costing $50 or less;
- Smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers costing $70 or less;
- Tarps and portable pet kennels costing $100 or less; and
- Generators costing $1,000 or less.
A full list of eligible tax-free items is available here.
In addition to the Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, Floridians are also encouraged to take advantage of other low-cost disaster preparedness activities, including:
- Know Your Home, Know Your Zone – Each year it’s important for residents to know if they live in an evacuation zone, a low-lying, flood-prone area, a mobile home or an unsafe structure during hurricane season. It is also very important for residents to know their home and its ability to withstand strong winds and heavy rain. Visit floridadisaster.org/know for more information.
- Make a Plan – Every household should have a disaster plan specific to the needs of their household. Every individual in the household should assist in developing the emergency plan and understand the plan. Visit floridadisaster.org/family-
plan for more information. - Create a List of Important Items and Documents – During a storm, residents may need to evacuate quickly. Creating a list of important items and documents before a storm threatens the state will ensure residents will not forget important items during an evacuation.
- Review Insurance Policies – Residents should review their insurance policies prior to hurricane season to ensure they have enough coverage to fully recover from potential storm damages.
- Purchase Nonperishable Items at Grocery Stores – During grocery trips, residents are encouraged to pick up extra nonperishable items, such as canned fruits and vegetables, that can be included in their disaster supply kit to avoid last-minute crowds and shortages prior to a disaster.
Floridians can use the Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday as an opportunity to stock up their disaster supply kits with enough supplies to last every individual and pet in the household for at least seven days. Floridians can find a full disaster supply kit checklist here.
The 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1 and lasts until November 30. Find more information on developing a disaster preparedness plan for homes and businesses here.
GARETT VALCOURT 
KINSLEY COOK 