Florida's Tax Free Week for the 2010-2011 School Year Remains Pending.
Many parents throughout the state of Florida have depended on the Florida's Tax-Free Week since 2007 to purchase their children's school supplies. The Tax free week is held for 10 days , the beginning of the second Friday after the first Tuesday in August. Unfortunately for parents, the 2009-2010 school year tax-free week has been discontinued.
Law makers are doing a disadvantage to the parents of school aged children by discontinuing the tax free week. Due to the unstable economy, parents were depending on the tax free week, but were disappointed. According to About.com writer Jennifer Wolf, "In the past, the sales tax holiday was voted upon in the state legislature, but the measure was not brought up for a vote this year(2009)." It’s a burden on parents to ensure that their children have the necessary school supplies to start off the school year. May of these parents are going through a major hardship with keeping their homes and now to add on to the preexisting battle is trying to provide supplies.

After reviewing the bill 212.08 titled Related to Taxes on Sale, Use, and Other Transactions, it specifies a period during which the sales of books, clothing, and school supplies is exempt from the tax. The bill also specified the type of clothing and school supplies that are tax exempt. For example, wearable apparel, footwear, backpacks, wallets, handbags and diaper bags having the sales price of $100 or less were exempt. This would be a great help to those families that have 2 or more children. The tax exemption, however, excluded to briefcases, suitcases, other garment bags, watches, skis, swim wear and watches.
For many parents, having the tax free week helped with the cost of purchasing school supplies and clothes that would have cost twice the amount of money at retail prices. Florida schools provide a list of needed school supplies to retail stores such as Staples, Office Depot, Target and Wal-Mart. These stores are frequently by parents.

The state of Florida would benefit well with keeping the tax free week, because it will allow a new flow of revenue to uplift the sinking economy.

Supplies valued at $10 or less, fell under the tax exemptions. Items essential to any student such as pens, paper, compasses, calculators, erases, pencils, crayon, note books, note book paper, markers, folder, poster boards, compositions books, poster paper, rulers, scissors, tape glue and paste were all included on the list of tax exempt items.

Florida parents are hoping not to foot the bill for school supplies for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year.
The Florida State Legislature is schedule to review the bill March 2010 for the 2010-2011 school year.