Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced Friday a sales tax holiday for water-efficient and Energy Star rated products. The holidays were created by the Texas Legislature and will take place Saturday, May 28, through Monday, May 30.
This is the seventh year for the water-efficient products sales tax holiday, where products with a WaterSense label or logo can be purchased tax free for personal or business use. These products include showerheads, bathroom sink faucets and accessories, toilets, urinals and landscape irrigation controls.
“The sales tax holiday also applies to lawn and garden products that help conserve water outdoors. Items qualifying for the exemption include soaker or drip-irrigation hoses; moisture controls for sprinkler or irrigation systems; mulch; and plants, trees and grasses,” the comptroller’s office wrote in a press release. “These items can be purchased tax free for residential use only.”
The Energy Star sales tax holiday is for energy-efficient products that display the Energy Star logo and can be purchased tax free. This includes air conditioners priced at $6,000 or less, refrigerators priced at $2,000 or less, ceiling fans, compact fluorescent light bulbs, integral LED bulbs, dishwashers, dehumidifiers and clothes washing machines.
According to the press release about the Energy Star sales tax holiday, central air conditioners see an energy savings of 8% per year versus conventional appliances while room and window air conditioners see an energy savings of 10% per year versus conventional appliances. Likewise, refrigerators see an energy savings of 9% and freezers an energy savings of 10%.
According to the comptroller’s office, there is no limit to the number of water-efficient or water-conserving products which can be purchased tax free. The comptroller’s office estimates those who utilize the holiday will save around $14 million in state and local sales tax.
“Anyone who’s lived through a Texas summer knows triple-digit temperatures, outdated water systems and inefficient appliances can put a strain on our water supplies and power grids,” Hegar wrote in the release. “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.”
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