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Memorial Day weekend is a Texas sales tax holiday for Energy Star products

The Energy Star program started in 1992 to rate the efficiency of computer monitors and now covers dozens of product categories.
Paul Sakuma
/
AP
The Energy Star program started in 1992 to rate the efficiency of computer monitors and now covers dozens of product categories.

Across Texas this Memorial Day weekend, shoppers will have the opportunity to purchase some Energy Star-certified products tax-free, including air conditioners, refrigerators, ceiling fans and washing machines.

The sales tax holiday begins Saturday, May 23, and runs through Monday, May 25. It applies to purchases made in person, online, by phone, by mail and by any other means.

According to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, there is no limit on the number of qualifying items, and buyers do not need to provide an exemption certificate.For qualifying items with price caps, charges for services such as delivery, installation and shipping are considered part of the total sales price.

Energy Star is a voluntary labeling program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that sets energy efficiency specifications. Companies that meet those specifications can display the Energy Star logo on their products.

Below are lists of qualifying and non-qualifying products, according to the comptroller's office:

Qualifying products

  • Air conditioners (with a sales price of $6,000 or less)
  • Ceiling fans
  • Clothes washers
  • Dehumidifiers
  • Dishwashers
  • Incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs
  • Refrigerators (with a sales price of $2,000 or less)

Examples of non-qualifying products (even if they are Energy Star-labeled):

  • Attic fans
  • Beverage chillers
  • Clothes dryers
  • Freezers
  • Heat pumps
  • Kegerators
  • Stoves
  • Water heaters
  • Wine refrigerators

Additional details about the tax-free weekend can be found on the state comptroller's website.

HPM Staff