By Lazaro Aleman Riverbend News
With the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season set to begin June 1, what better time to stockpile supplies in preparation for the possible eventuality of a storm striking the region?
Especially in tree-rich north Florida, where under the best of circumstances, power outages are not an uncommon occurrence.
Especially as the Florida Legislature has now created a 10-day sales tax holiday for the purchase of disaster preparedness supplies that is set to run from Friday, May 28, through Sunday, June 6.
Some examples of the items that can be purchased during the 10-day "disaster preparedness" tax-free holiday, according to a press release from the Florida Senate, include flashlights and lanterns costing $40 or less; radios costing $50 or less; tarps costing $100 or less; coolers costing $60 or less; batteries costing $50 or less and generators costing $1,000 or less.
The disaster preparedness sales tax holiday is part of House Bill 7061, a broad-based tax relief package that the Senate passed on Friday, April 30 and that is intended to deliver tax relief to families and businesses across the state, with the focus on sales tax holidays.
"We have been so focused on the pandemic, that it can be easy to forget that hurricane season is right around the corner," said Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez, the measure's sponsor in the Senate. "This bill incentivizes advanced planning with tax breaks on key supplies that families and businesses need for disaster preparedness."
Other parts of the legislation include a 10-day "back-to-school" sales tax holiday from July 31, to Aug. 9 for the purchase of clothing, footwear and backpacks costing $60 or less; school supplies costing $15 or less; and the first $1,000 of the sales tax price on personal computers or personal computer-related accessories.
The bill also establishes the 2021 Freedom Week Sales Tax Holiday from July 1, through July 7, during which time purchases of admissions to cultural, music and sporting events, as well as specified performances, movies, museums, state park annual passes and fitness facilities for events held July through Dec. 31 will be tax free. As will be purchases of season tickets.
The Freedom Week Sales Tax Holiday also will apply to the sales of boating and water activity supplies and camping, fishing and general outdoors supplies, as well as sports equipment.
All told, the legislation is expected to reduce state revenue by at least $61.5 million in the next fiscal year.
The Florida Legislature's practice of establishing back-to-school and hurricane preparedness sales tax holidays dates to 2014, although the lawmakers haven't done so every year.
Meanwhile, in term of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season and the need to prepare for it, meteorologists now predict that it will be more active than the initial outlook indicated a couple of months ago.
It is reported that The Weather Company, an IBM business, has increased the number of named storms and major hurricanes by one, making for 19 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes of 115-plus mph winds.