Tax-Free Impact Windows in Florida: Refund, Grants, and Discounts

There are no tax free impact windows in Florida at the register right now. The state’s original sales tax holiday on impact-resistant windows, doors, and garage doors expired on June 30, 2024, and no replacement is in effect as of early 2026.¹ A bill in the 2026 legislative session (HB 185) would bring the benefit back in a different form: a refund you apply for after purchase, capped at $500 per owner. Even without a tax break, insurance discounts and the My Safe Florida Home grant program usually deliver far more savings than the sales tax ever did.

What Happened to the Original Tax Holiday

Florida House Bill 7071 created the first Home Hardening sales tax exemption, which removed the six percent state sales tax (plus local surtaxes) from qualifying impact-resistant products bought between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2024.² During that two-year window, buyers paid nothing in sales tax on impact windows, impact-rated doors, and reinforced garage doors.

The exemption was not extended. Purchases made since July 1, 2024 have been taxed at the standard state rate plus any applicable local surtax.¹

If you bought impact windows during the original exemption period and were charged sales tax by mistake, you can still request a refund by filing Form DR-26S with the Florida Department of Revenue.³ Hang onto your invoice; the department requires supporting documentation.

The Proposed 2026 Refund Program

HB 185 would create a new two-year benefit covering impact-resistant products purchased between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2028. The mechanics are different from the old holiday. You pay the full sales tax at checkout, then apply to the Department of Revenue for a refund.⁴

The eligibility rules are tighter than the original exemption:

The refund is capped at $500 per property owner, no matter how much you spend. A $15,000 window project would generate roughly $900 in sales tax, but you could recover only $500 of it.
The home must have a Florida homestead exemption, meaning it has to be your primary residence. Second homes and rentals would not qualify.
The property’s just value cannot exceed $700,000.
Each owner can apply the refund to only one property.
Refund applications must be submitted to the Department of Revenue by September 30, 2028. The program would automatically repeal on June 30, 2029.⁴

HB 185 is still a proposal. Check the Florida Department of Revenue’s website for the final status before counting on it to budget a purchase.

Which Products Qualify

Both the expired exemption and the proposed program cover the same three categories: impact-resistant windows, impact-rated doors (including sliding glass and entry doors), and reinforced garage doors. The products must be designed and tested to withstand windborne debris during a hurricane, not just general weather.¹

Standard hurricane shutters, plywood, and non-impact windows do not qualify. Some products marketed as “hurricane” or “storm” rated resist wind pressure without meeting the debris-impact requirements the benefit targets, so look at the actual certification.

Qualifying windows and doors carry documentation showing they meet ASTM E1886 and E1996 standards for windborne debris resistance.⁵ A Miami-Dade County Notice of Acceptance (NOA) is the toughest commonly recognized standard and qualifies statewide. Reinforced garage doors must meet ANSI/DASMA 115 standards.⁶ Get the manufacturer’s product approval number and confirm it appears in the Florida Building Code product approval system. Retailers and contractors need that documentation to support any refund claim.

My Safe Florida Home Grants

The My Safe Florida Home Program offers a free wind mitigation inspection and grants of up to $10,000 toward approved home-hardening upgrades, including impact window and door installations.⁷ The inspection identifies your home’s specific vulnerabilities first, and grant funding then goes toward the recommended fixes. Eligible upgrades include window and exterior door replacements, garage door reinforcement, and roof-related improvements like roof-to-wall connections and secondary water barriers.

This is direct money toward the project, not a tax deduction, and for most homeowners it will dwarf whatever a sales tax refund would deliver. The program depends on annual funding, so apply early. A $500 state tax refund combined with a My Safe Florida Home grant could cover a meaningful share of a typical replacement.

Insurance Premium Discounts

Florida law requires insurers to offer premium discounts for verified wind mitigation features, and impact-resistant opening protection is one of the highest-value items on the mitigation list. For most homeowners, the recurring insurance savings outweigh any single-year tax benefit.

Homes built to the 2001 Florida Building Code or later already receive a minimum 68 percent discount on the windstorm portion of their premium due to upgraded construction requirements.⁸ Older homes that add impact windows along with other mitigation features can earn comparable discounts, with the exact percentage depending on your insurer and which features you install.

To claim the discount, you need a completed Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (OIR-B1-1802) filled out by a certified inspector. One detail matters a great deal: for impact windows to earn the top opening-protection rating, every glazed opening on the home must be protected. The form grades based on the weakest protection, so a single unprotected window downgrades the whole rating.⁶ The inspection runs between $75 and $180 and the form is valid for up to five years as long as nothing material changes on the structure. Submit it to your insurer to receive the adjusted premium.

No Federal Tax Credit for 2026 Purchases

The federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit under Section 25C offered up to $600 per year for qualifying exterior windows and up to $250 per exterior door ($500 total for all doors), but it only applied to property placed in service through December 31, 2025.⁹ If you installed qualifying windows in 2025, you can still claim the credit on your 2025 return using IRS Form 5695.¹⁰ For 2026 purchases, no federal credit applies unless Congress passes new legislation. Note that this credit was tied to energy efficiency ratings, not hurricane impact ratings; the two product categories overlap but are not the same.

Records to Keep

Whether you’re planning around the proposed refund, claiming insurance discounts, or protecting yourself in a dispute, keep complete records of the purchase and installation. A good file includes:

The purchase invoice with itemized product costs and any sales tax paid.
The manufacturer’s impact certification and Florida Building Code product approval number.
A copy of the building permit and final inspection approval.
The completed wind mitigation inspection form.

The Florida Department of Revenue requires supporting documentation with any refund application, and your insurer will want the mitigation form and proof of permitted installation. If a retailer charges sales tax on products that later qualify under the proposed program, keep the receipt so you can file Form DR-26S after the refund window opens.³

1
Florida Senate. HB 185 Bill Analysis – Home Hardening Sales Tax Exemption
2
Florida Senate. CS/HB 7071 Taxation
3
Florida Department of Revenue. Application for Refund – DR-26S Sales and Use Tax
4
Florida Senate. HB 185 Bill Analysis – Commerce Committee
5
ASTM International. ASTM E1886-19 Standard Test Method for Performance of Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, Doors, and Impact Protective Systems
6
Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802
7
My Safe Florida Home. My Safe Florida Home – Grants and Inspections Available
8
Florida Department of Financial Services. Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 25C – Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit
10
Internal Revenue Service. About Form 5695 Residential Energy Credits