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Full news conference: Gov. DeSantis on sales tax holiday
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference on Monday to talk about the start of Florida's latest sales tax holiday, which includes guns and ammunition.
PLANT CITY, Fla. - Gov. Ron DeSantis ushered in Florida’s newest sales tax holiday on Monday – one that adds guns and ammunition along with recreational supplies.
The governor spoke alongside Lt. Gov. Jay Collins at a news conference in Plant City.
Pictured: Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a news conference in Plant City on Sept. 8, 2025.
Tax holiday expanded
The backstory:
Earlier this year, DeSantis called for a "Second Amendment sales tax holiday" as part of the 2025-26 state budget.
Lawmakers ultimately added exemptions on guns and ammunition to the 2025 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Season Sales Tax Holiday, which began on Monday.
RELATED: Florida's new tax holiday expands to all guns and ammo
What items are exempt from sales tax?
Dig deeper:
This year’s tax holiday includes the following exemptions:
Hunting supplies
- Ammunition
- Firearms
- Firearm accessories: charging handles, cleaning kits, holsters, pistol grips, sights or optics, stocks
- Bows
- Crossbows
- Bow and crossbow accessories: arrows, bolts, quarrels, quivers, releases, sights or optics, wrist guards.
Camping and fishing supplies
$5 or less
- Bait or fishing tackle if sold individually ($10 or less if multiple items are sold together)
$30 or less
- Flashlights
- Camping lanterns
- Tackle boxes or bags
$50 or less
- Camping stoves
- Collapsible camping chairs
- Portable hammocks
- Sleeping bags
$75 or less
- Rods and reels if sold individually ($150 or less if sold as a set)
$200 or less
- Tents
Pictured: Bill Jackson's Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park.
What they're saying:
During Monday's news conference, DeSantis talked about his continued push for tax relief, ranging from sales tax to property tax.
"We've lived through a really tough period of inflation, prices at the grocery store, all these other things," DeSantis said. "As a state, certainly, we can't control the overall economic situation in terms of prices nationally. We're affected by that. The one thing we can control is the tax."
What's next:
The 2025 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Season Sales Tax Holiday runs through Dec. 31.
The Source: This story was written with information from a news conference in Plant City on Sept. 8, 2025.