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THINK LIVING GREEN INFO
New Sales Tax Holiday for Energy Star Purchases

May 2008 - During the 2008 Memorial Day weekend, Texas shoppers get a break from state and local sales- and use-taxes on purchases of certain energy-efficient products. The new Energy Star sales-tax holiday takes effect each Memorial Day weekend, and this year the holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 24, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 26.

The products qualifying for the exemption are:

air conditioners priced under $6,000 (room and central units)
clothes washers (but not clothes dryers)
ceiling fans
dehumidifiers
dishwashers
light bulbs (incandescent and fluorescent)
programmable thermostats
refrigerators priced under $2,000

Qualifying products will display the Energy Star logo on the appliance, the packaging, or the Energy Guide label. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Earning the Energy Star means a product meets strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and the DOE. For more information about Energy Star, visit www.energystar.gov.

The holiday tax-exemption does not include clothes dryers because most dryers offer similar amounts of energy-use, so Energy Star does not label clothes dryers.

This tax-free holiday also applies to some Internet and catalog sales of eligible products. Consumers also can use layaway plans to take advantage of the sales-tax holiday, within specific parameters.

To find out more about the tax-exempt weekend, visit www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxpubs/tx98_836.