Local

Back-to-school tax holiday has a few days left, shop while you can

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax is your back-to-school station, and this weekend is your last chance to save on those much-needed school items.

STORY: Man douses two people with gasoline, looks for lighter in apparent hate crime, police say

Hopefully parents are prepared for school already, but they still have until this Sunday, Aug. 7.

Back-to-school shopping doesn’t just consist of getting cool backpacks. It also includes getting personal computers like laptops for $1,500 or less. But you have got to move quick because Florida’s tax-free holiday ends in just a few days.

“I buy underwear, socks, notebooks, pens, pencils, the everyday essentials,” says Paris Freeman.

STORY: Lawsuits allege local hospital knew of and ignored surgeon’s impairments and botched surgeries

Before your kid heads back to school, you’ll want to take advantage of these last few days. One easy way to do that is by comparing prices on different apps.

“I spend around $600, $6 to $800,” says Antoinette Lewis.

“Shoes, socks, underwear, T-shirts and the pants, I’ll get those online,” says Lewis.

Now assuming these items are still in stock, you won’t have to pay a state sales tax on school supplies costing $50 or less. The same goes for backpacks, handbags, and wallets under $100, as personal computers costing $1,500 or less.

STORY: Jacksonville woman’s lawsuit says Equifax error made loan pricier

For some parents the tax-free holiday has perfect timing because it’s coming just in time for kids headed back to school in some pretty big counties here in Jax such as St. Johns and Clay.

“I’m going to be shopping for the rest of the week,” says Antoinette Lewis.

Besides avoiding state sales over the next few days, there’s something even better. Beat the crowd and skip the long lines by shopping virtually.

“I like the touch the feel, I like to see comparisons and the variety so although I buy some things online, I still like getting out, touching and feeling,” says Freeman.

“I prefer to shop online to beat the crowds,” says Lewis.

STORY: BA.4.6: What do we know about the latest subvariant of omicron?

Here’s how it works. Your kids’ schools have already given retailers like Walmart and Target your child’s school supply list. That supply list was uploaded to Walmart and Target’s websites and there, you can add all the items to your cart. Then simply pick them up or have them delivered to your home.

Even with these discounts on back-to-school supplies, retailers are still racking up some pretty nice cash. Experts say Floridians will spend $100,000,000 this year.

Also, according to the National Retail Federation, that’ll be about $864 per family with kids ranging from elementary to high school ages.