Texas Border Business
AUSTIN, Texas — Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa is reminding Texans that this Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 23 through Monday, May 25, is the perfect time to save money on water-efficient and energy-efficient products. During this annual sales tax holiday, Texans can purchase qualifying ENERGY STAR® and water-efficient products without paying state sales tax.
Senator Hinojosa authored and passed SB 1356 in 2015 to add water-efficient products to the existing tax-free weekend for energy-efficient products. The goal was to encourage Texans to make smart choices that conserve water and energy while saving money.
“With summer just around the corner, now is the time to invest in products that lower your utility bills and help protect Texas’s water supply,” said Senator Hinojosa. “This tax holiday is an opportunity for Texas families to save money on the things they need to keep their homes cool and water-efficient. I encourage everyone to shop local this weekend and take advantage of these savings.”
ENERGY STAR® Sales Tax Holiday — May 23–25, 2026
There is no limit on the number of qualifying items you can buy, and you do not need to provide an exemption certificate to the seller. Qualifying ENERGY STAR®-labeled items include air conditioners priced at $6,000 or less, refrigerators priced at $2,000 or less, ceiling fans, incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs, clothes washers, dishwashers and dehumidifiers. Items that do not qualify, even if they carry the ENERGY STAR® label, include water heaters, clothes dryers, freezers, stoves, attic fans, heat pumps, wine refrigerators, kegerators and beverage chillers. The following link to the Texas Comptroller’s webpage will provide more information:
https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/96-1331.php
Water-Efficient Products Sales Tax Holiday — May 23–25, 2026
Any product displaying a WaterSense® label or logo qualifies for the tax exemption and may be purchased for personal or business use. Items used to conserve or retain groundwater, recharge water tables, or reduce ambient air temperature to limit water evaporation also qualify. Examples of qualifying items include soaker or drip-irrigation hoses, moisture controls for sprinkler or irrigation systems, mulch, rain barrels or other rain and moisture collection systems, permeable ground cover surfaces that allow water to reach underground basins or aquifers, plants, trees and grasses, water-saving surfactants, and soil and compost. As with the ENERGY STAR® holiday, there is no limit on the number of qualifying items you can purchase, and no exemption certificate is required. The following link to the Texas Comptroller’s webpage will provide more information:
https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/98-1018.php
Information source: Office of Senator Hinojosa
