Florida's Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday is taking place as people prepare for Idalia, which is expected to become a major hurricane.
During the tax-free holiday, which runs through Sept. 8, qualifying items related to disaster preparedness are exempt from sales tax.
Tax-free items $20 or less
-Dog or cat food if sold individually or the equivalent if sold in a box or case
-Manual can openers
-Collapsible or travel-sized food or water bowls for pets
-Cat litter pans
-Pet waste disposal bags
-Hamster or rabbit substrate
-Reusable ice
-Leashes, collars and muzzles for pets
-Pet pads
Tax-free items between $21 and $59
-Laundry detergent and supplies: powder, liquid, or pod detergent; fabric softener; dryer sheets; stain removers; bleach
-Toilet paper, paper towels, paper napkins and tissues, facial tissues
-Hand soap, bar soap and body wash, sunscreen and sunblock
-Dish soap and detergents, including powder, liquid, or pod detergents or rinse agents that can be used in dishwashers
-Cleaning or disinfecting wipes and sprays, hand sanitizer
-Trash bags
-Portable self-powered light sources
-Pet beds
-Portable self-powered radios, two-way radios, or weather-band radios
-Gas or diesel fuel tanks
-Batteries, including rechargeable batteries, listed sizes only:
AA-cell, AAA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt, 9-volt
Tax-free items over $60
-Nonelectric food storage coolers
-Portable power banks
-Smoke detectors or smoke alarms
-Fire extinguishers
-Carbon monoxide detectors
-Tarps or other flexible waterproof sheeting
-Ground anchor systems
-Portable pet kennels or pet carriers
-Over-the-counter pet medications
-Portable generators used to provide light or communications or to preserve food in a power outage
Hurricane warning issued for Florida Gulf Coast as Idalia strengthens
Tropical Storm Idalia is impacting Cuba on Monday, but by Wednesday, it could strike Florida as a major hurricane.