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North Carolina sales tax holiday for energy-efficient appliances starts today

November 2, 2012

Things are really getting exciting in North Carolina.

Not only are Tar Heel State residents getting added attention from the presidential candidates — it's still considered a swing state — purchasers of energy-efficient appliances this weekend won't have to pay any sales tax.

That's right. North Carolina's annual fall Energy Star sales tax holiday begins today, Friday, Nov. 2, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 4.

During
these three days, certain appliances that meet energy-saving standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the
Department of Energy are sales tax free.

Just look for the Energy Star label on clothes washers, freezers, refrigerators,
central air conditioners, room air conditioners, air-source heat pumps,
ceiling fans, dehumidifiers and programmable thermostats.

Energy_star_appliance


There is no price floor or ceiling for products to qualify for exemption from sales and use taxes during the holiday.

Good to go:
You must, however, be ready for the appliance to be installed in your home.

That
means, says the state's Department of Revenue, you pay for the
product during the holiday time frame and the retailer accepts the order
and takes action to fill the order for immediate delivery.

If the delivery is delayed because of a backlog or because it's on back order by the seller, that's OK. You'll still get the product without paying any sales tax.

But if you ask the store to delay the delivery until, for example, you finish painting your laundry room, then get ready to pony up the sales tax.

No tax break for businesses: And sorry corporate customers. If you want to buy a new refrigerator for your office's lunch room, you'll still have to pay all applicable sales taxes.

Details on the sales tax holiday are available in the North Carolina Department of Revenue's tax holiday bulletin or by calling the agency at 1-877-252-3052.

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The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

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TAX-SAVVY WAYS 
TO WRAP UP 2026

It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill. 

You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.

Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings. 

Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year. 

So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

Comments
  • Interesting. This may be the smartest application of a sales tax holiday I’ve ever heard of.
    I love(d) skipping sales tax, but now we have to report online purchases on our state income tax forms. That said, we still pay a lower rate, since it’s at the state, not state & city rate. So there’s that.

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