SAN ANTONIO – If you’re needing new appliances, landscaping or plumbing items, you may be able to get a discount at the end of May.
Texans will pay no sales tax on qualifying energy-saving and water-saving appliances and products during the state’s sales tax holidays.
From May 27-29, shoppers can save some green on certain products that have the 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“Older, inefficient appliances and outdated water systems can put a tremendous strain on our power grids and water supplies,” Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said in a press release.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.”
Texans are expected to save about $14.3 million in sales taxes on such purchases during the weekend.
There are no limits on qualifying items.
The following Energy Star items qualify as tax-free to buy, rent or lease:
- Air conditioners (priced $6,000 or less)
- Refrigerators (priced $2,000 or less)
- Ceiling fans
- Clothes washers
- Dishwashers
- Dehumidifiers
- Light bulbs (incandescent and fluorescent)
Even if they have the Energy Star label, clothes dryers, freezers, stoves, water heaters, wine refrigerators, kegerators, beverage chillers and heat pumps do not qualify for the tax break.
If your bathroom is getting an upgrade, you can save the tax on certain toilets and shower heads. Any product that carries the WaterSense label is tax-free for the weekend. Other water-efficient products for the home qualify, too.
Examples of water-conserving items that qualify include:
- Soaker or irrigation hoses
- Rain barrel
- Permeable ground cover that allows water to reach water collection points
- Plants, trees, grasses
- Soil, compost and mulch