Georgia holds 2nd sales tax holiday of 2012

ATLANTA - Georgians who buy appliances this weekend can save some money on sales taxes if they buy energy-efficient models.

The state will have its second sales tax holiday of the year Friday through Sunday.

Shoppers will not have to pay sales tax on Energy Star or WaterSense items with a purchase price of $1,500 or less.

The year's first tax holiday was in August for back-to-school shopping.

State fiscal economist Ken Heaghney estimated the energy tax holiday would cost the state $2 million. The back-to-school holiday was expected to cost $38 million.

This weekend's sales tax holiday is aimed at encouraging shoppers to buy environmentally friendly products and to help conserve the state's resources, Gov. Nathan Deal said in a statement.

The tax relief does not apply to everything with an Energy Star rating but is specific to dishwashers, clothes washers, air conditioners, ceiling fans, fluorescent light bulbs, dehumidifiers, programmable thermostats, refrigerators, doors and windows that are marked with labels from the Energy Star program.

Energy Star is a joint program between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Also tax-exempt this weekend are products labeled with the EPA's WaterSense label, such as bathroom sink faucets, high-efficiency toilets and urinals, shower heads, faucet accessories such as aerators, and weather- or sensor-based irrigation controllers.