Sales Tax Holiday for Hurricane Preparedness is June 1 - June 12, 2007

The Florida State Legislature recently passed a bill to enact the second annual sales tax holiday to promote hurricane preparedness. Between June 1 and JUne 12, no sales tax will be charged on certain hurricane supplies. This year there are more items eligible for sales tax exemption, such as more expensive generators, carbon monoxide detectors, but plywood is not included on the list. According to House Bill 47 on www.flsenate.gov the items eligible for sales tax exemption are:

• flashlights selling for $20 or less
• portable self-powered radio, two-way radio, or weather band radio selling for $50 or less
• tarps or other flexible waterproof sheeting selling for $50 or less
• ground anchor system or tie-down kit selling for $50 or less

• gas or diesel fuel tank selling for $25 or less
• package of AAA-cell, AA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt, or 9-volt batteries, excluding automobile and boat batteries, selling for $30 or less
• cell phone battery selling for $60 or less and any cell phone charger selling for $40 or less
• non-electric food storage cooler selling for $30 or less
• portable generator used to provide light or communications or preserve food in the event of a power outage selling for $1,000 or less
• storm shutter device, or materials and products manufactured, rated, and marketed specifically for the purpose of preventing window damage from storms, selling for $200 or less
• carbon monoxide detector selling for $75 or less
• blue ice selling for $10 or less

Hurricane season starts June 1. Being prepared for the storm will help us protect homes, reduce recovery efforts, and save lives. In addition to shopping for the hurricane season, it is also good idea to get together copies of important documents and records (proof of insurance, birth & marriage certificates, prescriptions, copies of deeds & wills, and account numbers) to be stored in a waterproof container. Go to University of Florida’s Disaster Handbook at http://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu/chap2fr.htm for more information on hurricane preparedness.