TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Floridians can buy energy saving appliances through Sunday without paying sales taxes.
The Florida Legislature approved the sales tax holiday earlier this year. The tax holiday starts at midnight on Thursday and runs through Sunday.
Florida's sales tax is 6 percent and most local governments add 1 percent more.
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Consumers do not have to pay the tax on the first $1,500 of energy efficient refrigerators, dishwashers, washers, dryers and air conditioners. Other items that qualify include efficient light bulbs and ceiling fans.
FULL DETAILS: Florida's energy-efficient tax holiday
The tax is also waived on toilets, faucets and other items that cut down on water consumption.
The tax break is limited to a single purchase for each item that costs $500 or more. There is no limit for items that are worth less than $500.
Florida Agriculture Secretary Adam Putnam kicked off the tax holiday with a purchase of a new shower head and four packs of light bulbs at a Tallahassee Lowe's. Putnam, who pitched the energy-savings tax discount nearly a year ago as part of his 2014 legislative agenda, said he may request a longer discount period in future years, depending on this weekend's sales.
"I hope that we will be able to learn an awful lot about participation rates and the popularity of this and apply those lessons next year," Putnam said. "We may need to adjust when we do it and we may need to adjust the length of it, but this is our first foray into this, and we'll apply the lessons learned."
State economists, sitting as the Revenue Estimating Conference, have projected that the overall savings for shoppers this weekend could dent the revenue of state and local governments by $890,000 to $2.67 million.