Insider's Report, Vol. 7, No. 38

Texans will once again have the opportunity to save energy and money over the Memorial Day weekend.  As a result of a bill that I helped pass in 2007, certain Energy Star approved items will be exempt from sales tax beginning at 12:01 AM on Saturday, May 29 and ending at 11:59 PM on Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day).

The products qualifying for the exemption are:

• air conditioners priced under $6,000
• clothes washers
• ceiling fans
• dehumidifiers
• dishwashers
• light bulbs (incandescent and fluorescent)
• programmable thermostats
• refrigerators priced under $2,000

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy for products that meet strict energy efficiency guidelines. Qualifying products display the ENERGY STAR logo on the appliance, the packaging or the Energy Guide label. Clothes dryers are not included in the sales tax holiday because they use similar amounts of energy; therefore, the program does not label clothes dryers.
I wanted to make you aware of the sales tax holiday in case you plan to purchase any of these items in the near future. I also encourage you to always look for the Energy Star label on the products that you buy since using energy-efficient products means lower bills at both your home and business.
More information about the tax holiday is available at www.texaspowerfulsmart.org.