Save on energy-efficient products during Texas' sales tax holiday this Memorial Day weekend

Sarah Ann Dueñas, Austin American-Statesman
·3 min read

Texans can take advantage of the second of three sales tax holidays this Memorial Day weekend.

Last month, emergency supplies were available tax-free, and most school supplies will have a similar discount in August. But this weekend, from Saturday through Monday, shoppers can save money on certain items carrying an Energy Star logo or the WaterSense logo.

"Older, inefficient appliances and outdated water systems can put a tremendous strain on our power grids and water supplies,” Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said on his office's website. “By taking advantage of these sales tax holidays, Texans can make upgrades that will help alleviate those pressures and lower their utility bills — while saving money on state and local sales taxes.”

Texans are expected to save about $14.3 million this year in state and local sales taxes during the weekend on purchases of water-saving and energy-efficient products.

According to the comptroller's website, you can buy qualifying products in-store, online, by telephone, mail, custom order or any other means, as long as the sale of the item occurs during the tax-free period.

Energy Star tax holiday items

According to the Texas Comptroller’s office, you can buy an unlimited number of qualifying items and you don’t need an exemption certificate. You can buy, rent or lease only these Energy Star-labeled items tax-free:

  • Air conditioners (with a price of $6,000 or less)

  • Refrigerators (with a price of $2,000 or less)

  • Ceiling fans

  • Incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs

  • Clothes washers

  • Dishwashers

  • Dehumidifiers

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Not qualifying: These items might carry the Energy Star label, but they DON'T qualify for the exemption and are taxable:

  • Water heaters

  • Clothes dryers

  • Freezers

  • Stoves

  • Attic fans

  • Heat pumps

  • Wine refrigerators

  • Kegerators

  • Beverage chillers

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Water-efficient tax holiday items

As with the Energy Star program, the number of qualifying water-efficient items you can buy is unlimited. Any product that displays a WaterSense label or logo is tax-free, but you also can buy these water-efficient and water-conserving products tax-free if used for your residence:

  • Soaker or drip-irrigation hoses

  • Moisture control for a sprinkler or irrigation system

  • Mulch

  • Rain barrels or alternative rain and moisture collection systems

  • Permeable ground cover surface that allows water to reach underground basins, aquifers or water collection points

  • Plants, trees and grasses

  • Water-saving surfactants

  • Soil and compost

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If delivery, shipping and handling, or installation charges are part of the nontaxable item’s price, those charges are not taxable. But for air conditioners and refrigerators that have a price cap, you have to look at the item's total sales price, including extra costs, to determine whether you can buy it tax-free.

For more information about sales taxes, call 800-252-5555.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Save on energy-efficient products during Texas' sales tax holiday