JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Labor Day weekend could be the perfect time to put in some work around the house. Starting Saturday, Sept. 3, people across Florida can save money on tools and other home repair and construction items as part of the state’s first “tool time” sales tax holiday.
The seven-day holiday, which was part of a wide-ranging tax bill passed this year, will allow shoppers to avoid paying sales taxes on numerous home repair and construction items from Saturday through Sept. 9.
PRINTABLE LISTS: 2022 Florida Tool Time Sales Tax Holiday FAQs for consumers | Eligible items during 2022 Tool Time Sales Tax Holiday
At “An Olde Time Hardware and Building Supply” in Springfield, the name of the game is community. The building on North Main Street has been in existence for over 70 years. The store has been there for about 35 years. Tyler Wilson is a store manager and says he and his colleagues are happy to help customers get what they need, while saving some cash.
“Anything to bring people in here, and let the community know that we’re here,” Wilson said.
Work gloves, boots, and hand tools are just a few of the items people can save on. Wilson showed News4JAX there’s an entire wall of hand tools alone.
“We sell a lot of these,” Wilson said pointing to rows of box cutters. “The thing about tools is, they make a tool for everything.”
State economists have projected the tool-time holiday will reduce state revenue by $9.6 million and local revenue by $2.8 million.
Dominic Calabro, president, and CEO of the nonprofit Florida TaxWatch, said the holiday also will help “everyday homeowners.”
Here are some of the purchases exempt from sales taxes during the “tool time” holiday:
- Work gloves that cost $25 or less.
- Hand tools, LED flashlights, safety glasses, protective coveralls and duffle bags that cost $50 or less.
- Toolboxes that cost $75 or less.
- Shop lights, tool belts and electrical voltage and related testing equipment that cost $100 or less.
- Handheld pipe cutters, drain opening tools and plumbing inspection equipment that cost $150 or less.
- Work boots that cost $175 or less.
- Power tools and toolboxes for vehicles that cost $300 or less.
Wilson said customers regularly look for plumbing equipment.
“A lot of older houses around here, so a lot of that plumbing has been there for the better part of multiple decades,” Wilson said. “That’s one thing that we pride ourselves on, is helping the community learn and understand.”
The peak hurricane season is now underway. Wilson says he and his colleagues aim to make things as easy as possible.
“We try to keep an eye on as much as we can in order to stock up as much as we can, and have things ready, especially for the community,” Wilson said. “A lot of people are older in this community. So, we like to have it here on hand for them.”
The name of the “tool time” holiday loosely comes from a home-improvement show within the 1990s sitcom “Home Improvement.” The idea of the discounts is to recognize the efforts of workers, lawmakers said.
The tax package (HB 7071), which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in May, also included tax holidays for purchasing disaster preparation items before hurricane season, back-to-school items before children went back to classes and entertainment and recreation items around Independence Day.
