News-Journal: Tight budget blows away storm supplies tax break

Saturday, April 19, 2008

By JIM SAUNDERS
Tallahassee Bureau Chief

Don’t expect a tax break when buying hurricane supplies this year.

Florida House and Senate leaders have decided to scrap proposals that would have allowed residents to avoid paying sales taxes on an assortment of hurricane supplies in June.

The legislative leaders made the decision as they prepare to cut billions of dollars from the state budget. House committees had approved a plan to offer the tax breaks from June 1 through June 7, which would have cost the state an estimated $12.3 million.

“We’re constantly making the decision of what we want versus what we can afford,” said Senate Finance and Taxation Chairman Mike Haridopolos, R-Indialantic. “Obviously, the hurricane holiday is something we would like to do. We just couldn’t afford it this year.”

Lawmakers offered such tax breaks last June, with the timing linked to the beginning of hurricane season. Under this year’s proposal, shoppers would have avoided paying sales taxes on items ranging from batteries to portable generators.

While residents won’t get the hurricane-season tax breaks, they still will be able to save some money while doing back-to-school shopping.

Legislative leaders expect to hold a seven-day, tax-free shopping period for clothing and other back-to-school items late in the summer. That is scaled back from a House bill that would have offered such tax-free shopping from Aug. 2 to Aug. 11.

The exact dates of the seven-day period have not been set.