NO SALES TAX ON HURRICANE SUPPLIES MAY 28 – JUNE 10

To help Florida residents prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, certain disaster supplies will be tax-free for two weeks starting May 28th. Supplies for evacuating with pets such as food, leashes, and bedding will also be tax-free.

Here is a partial list of the hurricane supplies that will be tax-free:

  • Portable self-powered light sources like flashlights, lanterns, and candles that cost $40 or less.
  • Portable self-powered radios, two-way radios, and weather band radios that cost $50 or less.
  • Tarps or other waterproof sheeting that cost $100 or less.
  • Batteries that cost $50 or less (excluding auto and boat batteries).
  • Coolers that cost $60 or less.
  • Portable generators that cost $1,000 or less.
  • Reusable ice (blue ice) that costs $20 or less.
  • Smoke detectors and fire extinguishers that cost $70 or less.
  • Portable kennels and pet carriers that cost $100 or less
  • Bags of dry pet food that cost $30 or less.
  • Cans or pouches of wet pet food that cost $2 or less each.
  • Leashes and collars that cost $20 or less.
  • Collapsible or travel-sized food and water bowls that cost $15 or less.
  • Cat litter that costs $25 or less.
  • Pet beds that cost $40 or less.

If your business sells any of these items, you must temporarily stop collecting the state sales tax on these items from May 28th through June 10th. The Florida Department of Revenue will send all retailers a Taxpayer Information Publication that contains a detailed list of tax-free items in early May. If you have questions, you can call the Department of Revenue’s toll-free Taxpayer Services line at 800-352-3671.

NO SALES TAX ON CHILDREN’S BOOKS MAY 14 – AUGUST 14

Starting in May, the sale of children’s books in Florida will be exempt from the state sales tax for three months. From May 14th through August 14th, any books that are intended for children 12 and younger will be tax-free. If your business sells books for children, you will need to temporarily stop collecting the state sales tax from May 14th through August 14th.

DISASTER LOANS AVAILABLE FOR CENTRAL FLORIDA BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY MARCH TORNADO

Florida businesses in the following counties that were affected by the tornado on March 12th can apply for a low-interest disaster loan from the US Small Business Administration:

  • Alachua
  • Citrus
  • Lake
  • Levy
  • Marion
  • Putnam
  • Sumter
  • Volusia

The disaster loans available to businesses in the impacted areas are:

Business Physical Disaster Loans – Loans to businesses to repair or replace damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventory, supplies, machinery, and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Non-profits are also eligible.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) – Working capital loans to help small businesses and non-profits of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations, like payroll, rent, and other business expenses.

The deadline to apply for a disaster loan is May 27, 2022. Eligible businesses can apply online by clicking here or can call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955.

FLORIDA CONTRACTOR’S GUIDE TO WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

As a service to our members in the construction industry, FUBA publishes A Contractor’s Guide to Workers’ Compensation, which summarizes a contractor’s responsibilities under the Florida workers’ compensation law.

The Contractor’s Guide answers questions like:   

  • What is a workers’ comp exemption and how can I get one?
  • Why do I have to pay extra on my workers’ comp policy if I hire a sub that doesn’t have workers’ comp coverage?
  • What are the dangers of hiring a sub that has an exemption instead of an actual workers’ comp policy?
  • What does it mean that my subcontractor uses employee leasing?

To download a PDF of this guide in English, click here. To download the guide in Spanish, click here.

PROTECT YOUR COMPANY’S COMPUTERS AGAINST ATTACKS

To protect your company’s computers and network from a cyber-attack, educate your employees to do the following:   

  • Avoid clicking on suspicious links in emails. One way to tell if the link is bad is to hover your mouse over the link to see if the website that pops up matches the name in the link.
  • Never click on a link that you do not trust on a website, Facebook, or in a text message.
  • Before clicking on a link in an email from a colleague, confirm that person actually sent you the link.
  • Back up the business files on your computer regularly.
  • Beware of fraudulent e-mail messages that use names similar to popular services such as “PayePal” instead of PayPal or use popular names that are just slightly misspelled.
  • Use anti-virus software and always make sure all the latest updates have been installed.
  • Make sure the Windows version on all computers has the most recent updates installed.