Ron DeSantis delivered one permanent win that has Florida families cheering

Florida families have been getting hammered by inflation for years.

Back-to-school shopping became a financial nightmare for working parents.

But Ron DeSantis delivered one permanent win that has Florida families cheering.

DeSantis makes back-to-school shopping affordable again

Governor Ron DeSantis stood at Boon Docks restaurant in Panama City Beach on Monday morning with some welcome news for Florida families drowning in Biden-era inflation costs.

Starting August 1st, Florida’s back-to-school sales tax holiday kicks off – and this time, it’s not going anywhere.

DeSantis signed legislation making the tax break permanent, giving families an entire month every August to stock up on school essentials without getting slammed by sales tax.

“I would just urge Floridians to take advantage of it,” DeSantis said during the press conference.¹ “You have the entire month of August where you can go and prepare for your kids to go back to school.”

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The Governor wasn’t just making empty promises about pocket change either.

Families buying computers for their kids can save serious money – personal computers and accessories under $1,500 qualify for the tax exemption.

“You’re talking about families that they got to buy a computer, they got to buy some of these things – that’s some significant savings,” DeSantis explained.²

And honestly, after watching families struggle with record-high prices on everything from groceries to gas, this kind of relief couldn’t come at a better time.

Here’s exactly what Florida families can buy tax-free

The tax holiday covers pretty much everything parents need to get their kids ready for school – assuming they don’t go overboard on the fancy stuff.

Any school supply priced under fifty bucks qualifies. Your standard notebooks, pens, lunch boxes, binders – the stuff every parent dreads buying when August rolls around.³

Clothing works the same way if it’s under a hundred dollars. Backpacks, pants, sweaters, shoes. Even accessories like belts and hats make the cut.⁴

Educational materials under thirty dollars also qualify. Flashcards, interactive books, puzzles – the kind of stuff that might actually help kids learn something instead of staring at screens all day.⁵

Here’s where it gets interesting for families with tight budgets.

Computers and related gear qualify up to fifteen hundred dollars, but only for personal use. Tablets, laptops, calculators, keyboards, monitors – all covered.⁶

Don’t get any clever ideas about PlayStation purchases though. Gaming consoles don’t count as computers, and neither do phones or entertainment gadgets.⁷

Timing isn’t everything – but it sure helps

DeSantis knows exactly when to roll out policies that actually matter to voters.

Rolling this out right before families start their back-to-school shopping isn’t coincidence – it’s strategic timing that actually helps people when they need it most.

During Monday’s press conference, DeSantis even threw in some relatable parent humor about summer coming to an end.

“We got a rising third grader, rising second grader, rising kindergartner,” DeSantis said, referring to his own kids.⁸ “I think the First Lady and I are kind of at the point in the summer where we’re looking forward to school.”

That got some chuckles from the crowd, but the underlying message was clear – this governor gets what families are going through because he’s living it too.

The permanent nature of this tax holiday is the real winner here.

The old approach required lawmakers to vote on extending the break every single year.

Families never knew if August shopping would include tax relief or if some political fight in Tallahassee would kill the deal.

While other governors chase headlines, DeSantis cuts taxes

The sales tax holiday represents just one piece of DeSantis’s broader tax-cutting agenda.

The governor also highlighted another major business-friendly move during his press conference – eliminating the commercial rent sales tax that was dragging down the state’s economic growth.

“We were the only state in the country that taxed commercial rent. And that is a drag,” DeSantis said.⁹ “It didn’t make sense in terms of economic growth and opportunity and so we actually eliminated that tax.”

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That’s the kind of economic thinking that separates serious conservative governance from political theater.

While other Republican governors are busy fighting culture war battles on Twitter, DeSantis is quietly dismantling the tax and regulatory structure that makes life harder for working families.

The back-to-school tax holiday also comes with additional sales tax breaks later in the year – including a hunting, fishing, and camping holiday from September 8th through December 31st.¹⁰

So while families are saving money on school supplies in August, outdoor enthusiasts get their own tax relief later in the fall.

That’s smart coalition building that keeps different voter groups happy without creating complicated bureaucratic programs that cost more to administer than they save.

Florida families have been squeezed by inflation, supply chain problems, and the general economic chaos of the Biden years.

DeSantis just gave them a permanent break that puts real money back in their pockets exactly when they need it most.

That’s the kind of practical conservatism that wins elections and actually improves people’s lives.

¹ Heather Bazley, “Gov. DeSantis speaks on school supply tax holiday,” News 13, July 28, 2025.

² Gabrielle Russon, “’That’s some significant savings’: Ron DeSantis promotes back to school sales tax holiday,” Orlando Sentinel, July 28, 2025.

³ Florida Department of Revenue, “Florida Back to School Sales Tax Holiday FAQs,” floridarevenue.com, 2025.

⁴ Ibid.

⁵ Ibid.

⁶ Ibid.

⁷ Ibid.

⁸ Russon, “’That’s some significant savings’: Ron DeSantis promotes back to school sales tax holiday.”

⁹ Ibid.

¹⁰ Florida Department of Revenue, “Florida Back to School Sales Tax Holiday FAQs.”