Friday, May 22
Posted 9 a.m. EST
A couple of states, including my own, are welcoming summer with sales tax holidays.
Summers are hot here in the Lone Star State. I'm talking triple-digit temperature days. So air conditioners tend to get a workout, and that means they fail sooner rather than later.
Now the state is making replacement of those dead or dying units less taxing.
During Texas' Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday, held in conjunction with the Memorial Day holiday weekend, shoppers get a break from state and local sales and use taxes on purchases of certain energy-efficient products.
This special sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 23, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25.
During these three days, look for the Energy Star logo on room and central air conditioners priced under $6,000 and clothes washers, ceiling fans, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs, programmable thermostats and refrigerators costing less than $2,000.
If you're wondering why clothes dryers aren't on the list, it's because most dryers use similar amounts of energy, so Energy Star does not label them, says the Texas Comptroller's office.
Don't forget about the feds: If my fellow Texans (or adjacent state neighbors who want to pick up a sales tax bargain) buy an eligible energy-efficient appliance, they also could take advantage of a $1,500 tax credit from Uncle Sam.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that became law in February reauthorized (and expanded) the federal tax break for several energy-efficient home improvements. You can read more about the energy-related credits in "7 housing tax laws you need to know."
Virginians prepare, save: Memorial Day also is the start date for a sales tax holiday in Virginia. The Old Dominion state's holiday is tied to hurricane preparedness.
For seven days, May 25 through May 31, purchases of items designated by the Department of Taxation as hurricane-preparedness equipment are tax-exempt.
This includes things such as portable generators costing $1,000 or less and other eligible items each priced at $60 or less. The Virginia Department of Taxation has posted an online list of eligible items and questions that shoppers and retailers might have.
Having lived through a couple of Florida hurricanes and a few tropical storms, I can tell you it's always best to be prepared. So Virginians, with the state giving you a tax break, you've got every reason to shop for storm supplies next week!