By Rachel Lippmann, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Missouri residents who wait until next month to purchase large household appliances will be able to save some money.
The state will offer a sales tax holiday from April 19th through the 25th on appliances like stoves or washers and dryers that bear the EnergyStar label. Fifty seven counties and nine cities have also voted to waive their sales tax for the same period.
Legislative analysts predict the sales tax holiday will cost the state more than $1 million in revenue. But Kerry Cordray, a spokesman with the energy center at Missouri Department of Natural Resources, says the measure will act like an economic stimulus.
"Helping households to save money on energy and on their utility bills is a good thing to be doing overall for the state of Missouri," he said.
"People tend to take action where there is some kind of immediate financial reward," said Jean Ponzi with the EarthWays Center at the Missouri Botanical Garden. "And frankly, it's advantageous for the state, it's advantageous for the power companies, as well as for the appliance manufacturers and the consumers."
The legislation's sponsor says he's heard from several constituents who are delaying their appliance purchases until April to take advantage of the holiday.
Eight other states offer sales tax breaks for EnergyStar purchases