Ten-day back-to-school sales tax holiday begins

Back-to-school sales tax holiday

Elizabeth Fry reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - Bay Area students will head back to school in less than a month.

"I’m excited because I get to study again, have recess and not be alone at home," said Elias Tannenbaum, who’s headed into 4th grade.

However, that means back-to-school shopping is on a lot of parents’ list of things to do. Saturday kicks off Florida’s back-to-school sales tax holiday, making it the perfect week to get school shopping done and save a few bucks in the process.

"For struggling families, the no-tax weekend helps tremendously. We were able to save a bunch of money and we were able to buy more stuff and help our Florida economy," said Eric Tannenbaum, a parent shopping for school supplies on Saturday.

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The tax break applies to school supplies $15 or less, clothes and shoes under $60, as well the first $1,000 spent on any personal computers.

"It's a great opportunity for families to save significant dollars whether you're going back to the classroom or opting to study from home or enter into a school-from-home program. That technology is going to be needed for sure so it's a superb opportunity for families to save money," said Scott Shalley, president of the Florida Retail Federation.

Experts estimate, on average, a school supply list for one child could cost just under $300, and parents know that bill can add up fast.

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"It’s a tremendous help because we have two. But what about the families that have five and six kids? With tax-free, it really, really does help," said Zoe Tannenbaum, a mother shopping for school supplies on Saturday.