In absence of this year's back-to-school tax-free days, Student Government and UF Bookstores will offer one day of relief to students purchasing textbooks in the fall.
UF Bookstores is sponsoring a Textbook Sales Relief Day by providing a 6.25 percent discount on textbooks bought at the store from open to close on Aug. 25, the first day of fall classes, according to an SG news release.
An annual nine-day exemption from sales tax on books, clothing and school supplies has been implemented in Florida since 1998, except for 2002 and 2003, in an effort to provide relief to families with schoolchildren, according to the Florida Senate Web site.A bill proposing the back-to-school holiday this year died in the House and Senate in May due to concerns about the loss of revenue to the state government after budget cuts, according to the Florida House and Senate Web sites.
Student Body President Kevin Reilly said SG organized the event because textbooks are a major expense for students at the beginning of the semester.
"We've worked very hard with the state to pass some of the textbook reform bills they've passed recently," Reilly said. "This is just another way we can help make textbooks more affordable to students."
