Gov. Matt Blunt today enacted the state’s new Show-Me Green Tax Holiday for Energy-Star appliances making Missouri only the fourth state in the country to enact this environmentally-friendly tax holiday. The governor called for the tax holiday in his State of the State Address this year.
“This Show-Me Green Tax Holiday rewards Missouri families that make environmentally-friendly choices that are good for energy efficiency and good for their family budget,” Gov. Blunt said. “I am pleased to sign this legislation giving an additional incentive to purchase energy efficient products, saving energy, saving money, and ultimately helping to preserve our environment. Now for one week every April, we will forgive state sales tax on Energy-Star certified appliances.”
With the governor’s signature, Missouri becomes only the fourth state to enact this environmentally-friendly sales tax holiday joining Connecticut, Florida and Virginia.
Senate Bill 1181, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Engler, creates the “Show-Me Green Sales Tax Holiday”. The holiday will start on April 19th and end on April 25th. All sales of Energy-Star Certified new appliances, up to $1500, will be exempt from state sales tax.
This legislation also allows 100 percent of the cost of a home energy audit, conducted by a certified energy auditor, and the costs of implementing any of the recommendations made in any such energy audit, to be deducted from a taxpayer’s federal adjusted gross income. The deduction is limited to $1,000 per taxpayer per year and up to $2,000 cumulative lifetime total per taxpayer.
Last year the governor announced a partnership to create renewable energy and heat using byproducts from the Jefferson City Landfill. Methane gas from the landfill is converted to electricity, and the heat created by conversion facilities is used to heat water for the state prison. The project uses resources that would otherwise have been wasted while at the same time producing benefits for the environment, the state, the prison and local communities. Gov. Blunt’s support for proactive solutions to save energy and protect the environment once implemented will both reduce energy use and save taxpayers nearly $16 million in energy costs. Initiatives include a range of projects from centralizing and monitoring statewide energy consumption to changing laundry operations at prisons.
For more information about Energy Star ratings and Programs, visit http://www.energystar.gov/