Sales tax holiday on disaster items starts Saturday

It’s time to think about hurricane season. It starts in less than a week.

Take a look at where you keep your batteries, traps, coolers and, for this year, long-term pet supplies and make your shopping lists.

Starting Saturday and running through June 10, much of what’s on that list will be sales-tax free during the state’s 2022 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday.

Passed by the Florida Legislature, it’s an annual hit-the-stores event in Florida, with the intent to better prepare citizens for what hurricane researchers say is going to be an active season.

Purchases at a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishment, or airport do not qualify.

Unlike past years, supplies necessary for the evacuation of household pets are included. For the complete list of items that are tax free this year, go to https://floridarevenue. com/DisasterPrep/Pages/ default.aspxCutline.

But here is a short list of common items: $15 or less: Manual can openers, collapsible travel bowls for pets, cat litter pans, pet waste disposal bags; $20 or less: Reusable ice packs, leashes, collars, and muzzles for pets; $30 or less: Bags of dry pet food weighing 15 or fewer pounds; $40 or less: portable lights, pet beds; $50 or less: Portable, two-way and weatherband radios, gas or diesel tanks, batteries (including rechargeables, but not the chargers); $60 or less: Nonelectric food storage coolers, portable power banks; $70 or less: Smoke detectors or alarms and fire extinguishers (also on the list for the first time); $100 or less: tarps and other waterproof sheeting, ground anchor systems, portable pet kennels; $1,000 or less: generators (limit up from $750).

For a list of Frequently Asked Questions from the state, go here: https://bit. ly/3yP5aa9.

The start of the sales-tax holiday coincides with the Osceola County Emergency Management's Hurricane Expo and Touch-A-Truck event Saturday at Osceola Heritage Park beginning at 10 a.m.