Governor Ron DeSantis Encourages Floridians to Prepare for Hurricane Season by Taking Advantage of Sales Tax Holiday
Florida Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday runs May 29 – June 4
Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) and the Florida Department of Revenue are encouraging Floridians to prepare for the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season by taking advantage of the Florida Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, which runs from May 29 – June 4.
The Florida Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday is a seven-day sales tax holiday during which critical supplies for hurricane preparedness such as water, medicine, flashlights, batteries, and generators, are tax free.
“Every Florida resident and visitor needs to be ready for hurricane season and have a plan in place in case disaster strikes,” said Governor DeSantis. “Through past storms and this unprecedented COVID-19 emergency, Floridians have demonstrated how resilient we are in the face of adversity. We must continue to be diligent and prepare now with the proper supplies.”
“This year, it’s more important than ever to have seven days of supplies ready for hurricane season,” said FDEM Director Jared Moskowitz. “The forecasts are calling for an active hurricane season and now is the time to prepare. I’m urging every Floridian to take advantage of this sales tax holiday to get these critical supplies like food, water and medicine, and remember to also have COVID-19 supplies like hand sanitizer, a mask and disinfectant wipes in your disaster kit.”
“Natural disasters can cause hardship and challenges for Floridians,” said Florida Department of Revenue Executive Director Jim Zingale, PhD. “In the last few years, hurricanes and tropical storms have inflicted severe damage on our state. I hope consumers will use the disaster preparedness sales tax holiday to gather supplies. It’s always a good idea to be prepared before disaster strikes.”
Floridians are encouraged to have a disaster supply kit that can last for a minimum of seven days. This year, residents should consider having additional supplies such as hand sanitizer, face masks and disinfectant wipes to further prevent the spread of COVID-19.
FDEM is also urging Floridians to know how COVID-19 supplies can differ from hurricane supplies. When preparing a disaster supply kit, it’s important to have supplies that can be stored away in case of an emergency. For more information on what to have in a disaster supply kit, please click here.
The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1 and lasts until November 30. To develop a plan for hurricane season, please visit FloridaDisaster.org/PlanPrepare.
CS/HB 7097, which included this tax holiday, was passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Governor DeSantis on April 8. During this one-week sales tax holiday, Floridians are estimated to save $5.6 million on critical supplies.
For more information on qualifying items, please visit FloridaRevenue.com/DisasterPrep.
Updated: Tuesday, June 2, 2020
