Hurricane Season 2020: What to Stock up on During Tax-Free Holiday

With hurricane season days away, it’s time to make sure hurricane kits are stocked with all of the necessities needed to get you and your family through a storm. The upcoming 2020 Florida Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday can help.

Beginning Friday, May 29 and ending Thursday, June 4, qualifying items such as flashlights, generators and batteries are exempt from sales tax. This relieves the financial burden on Florida families preparing for a worst-case scenario.

The sales tax holiday does not apply to the rental or report of any of the qualifying items or sales in theme park, entertainment complex, lodging establishment, or airport. This hurricane season, some qualifying items for disaster preparedness kits also have cost limits.

Floridians are encouraged to get their hurricane kits ready and stock up on qualifying items to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season. Experts at Colorado State University have predicted 16 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes this season, between June 1 and November 30. That’s just above the average of 12 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.

What items will be exempt for hurricane season?

$10 or less
Reusable ice (ice packs)

$20 or less
Any portable self-powered light source (powered by battery, solar, hand-crank or gas):
-Flashlights
-Lanterns
-Candles

$25 or less
Any gas or diesel fuel container, including LP gas and kerosene containers

$30 or less
Batteries, including rechargeable batteries, listed sizes only (excluding automobile and boat batteries):
-AA and AAA
-C-cell
-D-cell
-6-volt
-9-volt

Containers and ice chests
-Food storage, non-electrical

$50 or less
-Tarpaulins (tarps)
-Visqueen, plastic sheeting, plastic drop cloths and other flexible waterproof sheeting
-Ground anchor systems
-Tie-down kits
-Bungee cords
-Ratchet straps
-Two-way and weather band radios (powered by battery, solar or hand crank)

$750 or less
Portable generators used to provide light or communications, or to preserve food in the event of a power outage

Always exempt (even outside of hurricane season)
-Bottled water (unflavored, uncarbonated)
-Canned food, including meats, vegetables, fruits, peanut butter and nonperishable items
-First aid kits
-Prescription and non-prescription medications (all Rx and most over-the-counter medications are exempt)
-Baby food and formulas