Florida's back-to-school tax holiday kicks off

A tax holiday on select school-related items is officially underway across Florida, bringing some welcome relief to parents gearing up for the new school year.

With students heading back to class, families are making the most of the savings during the state’s back-to-school sales tax holiday, which began today and runs through August 31.

Tax-free items include:

• Clothing, footwear, backpacks, and diaper bags priced under $100

• School supplies costing $50 or less

• Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles priced at $30 or less

• Personal computers and accessories priced at $1,500 or less

At stores like Target in Kendall, shoppers were busy hunting for deals on backpacks, lunch boxes, school uniforms, and kids’ apparel. Target representatives said items like $5 backpacks and $3 lunch boxes have been flying off the shelves, both in-store and online.

Over at Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater, large crowds turned out as retailers like Burlington, Ross, and Children’s Place rolled out promotions for the tax holiday. Shoppers said the variety of stores made it easy to check everything off their back-to-school lists.

With the holiday running through the end of August, Florida shoppers still have plenty of time to take advantage of the savings.