If you’re in the market for a common home appliance, it’s a great weekend to buy it in the Commonwealth of Virginia. If the appliance you’ve had your eye has a retail price of $2,500 or less and has the Energy Star® or WaterSense® label on it, you could avoid sales tax on your purchase this weekend. The Virginia Sales Tax holiday (where select products are exempt from sales tax) begins at 12:01 AM on October 10 and lasts until 11:59 PM on October 13. Tax exempt purchases are limited to consumer use only (sorry, landlords, contractors, and salons, this tax holiday isn’t for you.)
According to the Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday Guidelines released by the Virginia Department of Taxation, only the following Energy Star and WaterSense products qualify for state tax exemptions this weekend:
- Dishwashers
- Clothes washers
- Air conditioners
- Ceiling fans
- CF Light bulbs
- Dehumidifiers
- Refrigerators
- Bathroom sink faucets
- Faucet accessories
- Toilets
- Shower heads
- Urinals
- Landscape irrigation controllers
For those individuals that know their refrigerator is on its last leg, but don’t quite have all the money up front to pay for a brand new refrigerator, the state of Virginia allows participating retailers to provide layaway options! If you put down an initial payment for your refrigerator and the retailer specifically reserves the refrigerator for layaway during the tax holiday period, payments made to the refrigerator (even if the payments and delivery of the item are made after the tax holiday period) are tax exempt.
In Virginia, state sales tax is 6%. If you purchase an appliance that costs $2,500, you could enjoy savings of $150.
Disclaimer: Every effort has been taken to provide the most accurate and honest analysis of the tax information provided in this blog. Please use your discretion before making any decisions based on the information provided. This blog is not intended to be a substitute for seeking professional tax advice based on your individual needs.