Texas retailers gear up for tax-free emergency shopping this weekend

Jason Craig pulls his dog, Simon, in an ice chest through the flooded street of Pine Belt Drive, in Cypress, Texas, Friday, July 13, 2012. Historic rainfall levels that drenched the Houston area this week flooded dozens of homes and caused widespread street flooding, but the rain also is likely to result in the end of drought conditions in Southeast Texas, officials said Friday. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Cody Duty) less Jason Craig pulls his dog, Simon, in an ice chest through the flooded street of Pine Belt Drive, in Cypress, Texas, Friday, July 13, 2012. Historic rainfall levels that drenched the Houston area this week ... more Photo: Cody Duty Photo: Cody Duty Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Texas retailers gear up for tax-free emergency shopping this weekend 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

AUSTIN — Need to stock up on emergency supplies like batteries, a first-aid kit or ice chests as the spring and summer storm seasons arrive?

You’re in luck: This weekend, all of the above items and more can be purchased tax-free across Texas.

Enacted by state lawmakers in 2015, the state’s Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Holiday, offers Texans the chance to purchase all the supplies they may need in case of an emergency and pay no sales tax, just as the spring season’s potentially severe weather approaches.

“The severe weather we had last year — particularly Hurricane Harvey — was a stark reminder that Texans should be prepared for emergencies at all times,” Comptroller Glenn Hegar said in a news release. “This tax holiday allows people to save money while ensuring they have the supplies they need before an emergency situation occurs.”

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There is no limit on the number of qualifying items you can purchase, and the holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, April 28, and ends at midnight on Monday, April 30.

Here’s a list of items that will be tax-free:

• Portable generators — less than $3,000.

• Emergency ladders and Hurricane shutters — less than $300.

• Axes, batteries (single or multipack), nonelectric can openers, carbon monoxide detectors, coolers and ice chests for food storage, fire extinguishers, first-aid kits and more — less than $75.

Not everyone’s sold on whether the holiday is beneficial to those who take advantage of it, however.

Sixteen states have at least one tax-free weekend on the books, down from a peak of 19 states in 2010. The decline in participation among states comes as some have decided to put the brakes on such holidays for a variety of reasons.

Last year, for example, Georgia lawmakers failed to renew the state’s two tax-free weekends, one of which focused on back-to-school items in the summer. Those in favor of the move argued that nixing the tax holiday would save the state millions of dollars, while businesses and others who support the holiday argued it brings in some consumers who also make taxable “impulse” purchases.

The criticisms have come from both the right and the left. The conservative Tax Foundation think tank wrote in a 2017 report that tax-free weekends don’t actually give the intended tax relief to low-income individuals, going so far as to say the holidays are “no part of sound tax policy.”

“Sales tax holidays neither promote economic growth nor increase purchases,” the authors wrote in the report. “They create complexities for all involved, while inserting the political process into consumer decisions.”

In Texas, there are two other tax-free weekends on the books. Next month, from May 26-28, Texans will be able to purchase tax-free energy efficient items (like air conditioners, clothes washers, ceiling fans, and more) during the state Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday. Later, Aug. 10-12, Texans can head to their local store of choice for clothes, shoes, backpacks and other supplies just in time for the new school year, during the state “Back to School” Sales Tax Holiday.

The back-to-school and Energy Star breaks were enacted by the state Legislature in 1999 and 2008, respectively.

forrest.milburn@chron.com

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