Tax holiday on hurricane gear runs from June 1 through June 7
June 1 marks the beginning of Atlantic Hurricane Season, and in the wake of damage done in recent years by hurricanes like Irma and Maria, Florida is offering a tax holiday until June 7 for disaster preparedness and safety, waiving all sales tax on important hurricane safety goods while Florida prepares for what could be a busy season.
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In Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties, hurricane preparedness is an important issue. Two major factors affect hurricane preparedness on the Suncoast. Florida’s transplant community, growing every day as more and more people move to the Sunshine State, is generally unfamiliar with hurricanes and preparedness. On top of that, the west coast of Florida has a sort of complacency at times, as residents of the Tampa Bay area assure themselves every year that hurricanes do not swerve into the area.
This complacency was on full display as Hurricane Irma targeted Tampa for much of its tracking in the 2017 hurricane season. There was a scramble in the buildup to that storm for fuel, groceries, and supplies such as generators. With this tax holiday, Floridians are being urged to prepare now for a potential hurricane in what is forecast to be a busy, potentially frightening hurricane season.
The Weather Channel is predicting an average hurricane season. That might sound promising, but 12 named storms are a lot of storms, and it only takes one to change course in order for a city or even a large part of the entire state of Florida to be put in tremendous danger. Authorities are urging preparedness, and on top of being stocked up with goods that means becoming familiar with your evacuation route and making sure there is a plan in place long before a storm threatens your area.
Find important information about your evacuation routes at the Florida Department of Transportation website. A full list of goods included in the tax holiday can be found on Florida Revenue’s website.
