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Sales tax suspended on some appliances

Retailers sweeten holiday with discounts.

Robert C. Reed

This weekend will be a tax-free weekend for Energy Star appliances in North Carolina. Here, Chuck Tarlton, sales specialist for Sunrise Appliance in Hickory, checks out a Energy Star appliance.

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By John Dayberry | Hickory Daily Record

Published: November 7, 2008

HICKORY - Appliance dealers hope the state's first sales tax holiday on Energy Star appliances this weekend helps stimulate business.

To boost the chances of that happening, many retailers are offering additional discounts on top of the tax savings to try to entice shoppers to buy.

"Basically, everything in our store is marked down, some items up to 30 percent," said Dave Garner of Sunrise Appliance on Catawba Valley Boulevard.

"We believe there's a lot of pent-up demand out there, especially among people who need to replace appliances, and we're hoping this will stimulate them to buy."

The tax holiday, which is today through Sunday, works much like the school supplies sales tax holiday North Carolina holds each August, except that now it's Energy Star-rated appliances that are exempt from the tax, which is 7 percent in Catawba County.

On a $500 appliance, a shopper would save $35 in tax in Catawba County.

Savings are likely to be much greater than that, as appliance dealers hold promotions and sales in conjunction with the sales tax holiday.

Home Depot stores and Lowes Home Improvement stores in North Carolina are offering discounts on appliances this weekend. Both retailers are giving additional Veterans Day discounts to veterans and members of the military.

The holiday will be repeated annually beginning on the first Friday in November and ending the following Sunday. Unlike the state's school supplies sales tax holiday, there is no price threshold.

Items that are included are products that meet the Energy Star requirements and are authorized to carry the Energy Star label, including clothes washers, freezers, refrigerators, central air conditioners, room air conditioners, air source heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, ceiling fans, dehumidifiers and programmable thermostats.

Dishwashers are not included.

North Carolina's Energy Star sales tax holiday was created during a 2008 session of the General Assembly to encourage the use of more energy-efficient products.

Steven Cramer, manager at Queen City Audio Video Appliances on U.S. 70, SE, said customers will find great deals on Energy Star appliances at his store this weekend, then enjoy more savings in energy costs for years to come.

Energy Star products can help consumers save up to 30 percent on their energy bills.

The Energy Star program was created in 1992 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Since then, consumers have purchased more than 2.5 billion Energy Star products.