Texas sales tax holiday: Save some green on these energy-efficient products this weekend

Roberto Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman
·2 min read

For three days this Memorial Day weekend, Texans can take advantage of the second of this year's three sales tax holidays. Last month, you could buy emergency supplies tax-free, and most school supplies will see a similar discount in August. But from Saturday through Monday, shoppers can save money on certain items carrying an Energy Star logo or the WaterSense logo.

“Anyone who’s lived through a Texas summer knows triple-digit temperatures, outdated water systems and inefficient appliances can put a strain on our water supplies and power grids,” Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said on his office's website.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.”

Previous coverage: Texans can save on these emergency supplies during this weekend's sales tax holiday

Texans are expected to save about $14 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

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

  • Water heaters

  • Clothes dryers

  • Freezers

  • Stoves

  • Attic fans

  • Heat pumps

  • Wine refrigerators

  • Kegerators

  • Beverage chillers

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

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: Texas sales tax holiday: Save on these efficient products this weekend