It has been cold lately.

The kind of cold where all I really want to do is stay inside, bundled up and cozy — layers on, something warm to drink nearby, and no reason to leave the house unless I absolutely have to.

When the weather turns like this, a lot of us start paying closer attention to how our homes are actually working. Drafty rooms. Appliances running nonstop. Heating bills that feel higher than expected.

That’s why Maryland’s Shop Maryland Energy Weekend tends to get people’s attention.

From Saturday, February 14 through Monday, February 16, 2026, qualifying ENERGY STAR–certified products are exempt from Maryland’s 6% sales tax. It’s a short window, but a meaningful one — especially for purchases people were already considering.

Why This Weekend Is a Win for Maryland Consumers

For Maryland residents, this tax holiday offers a simple benefit: pay less upfront on energy-efficient products.

During the weekend, the state sales tax is waived on qualifying ENERGY STAR items, including things like clothes washers, dryers, standard-size refrigerators, room or portable air conditioners, free-standing dehumidifiers, and CFL light bulbs.

On larger appliances, skipping the 6% sales tax can add up. And because ENERGY STAR products are designed to use less energy, the benefit doesn’t necessarily stop at the register. Many households see savings over time through lower utility usage.

There’s no coupon or special paperwork required. If the product qualifies and the purchase is made during the holiday window, the exemption should be applied automatically at checkout — whether the item is purchased in-store or online.

It’s a small break, but one that’s intentionally designed to encourage energy-efficient choices at a time of year when comfort and heating costs are top of mind.

What This Weekend Means for Maryland Businesses

For local retailers selling qualifying ENERGY STAR products, Shop Maryland Energy Weekend brings opportunity — and responsibility.

Even though sales tax is not collected on qualifying items during the holiday, those sales still need to be tracked accurately. They don’t disappear from your books. Instead, they’re typically recorded as exempt sales, separate from taxable ones.

This distinction matters when it’s time to file your Maryland sales tax return. Exempt sales are reported differently than taxable sales, and clear records make that process far smoother.

Businesses are also expected to maintain documentation showing:

• Which products qualified as ENERGY STAR items

• When the sales occurred

• That the transactions fell within the tax holiday window

Keeping this information organized for several years is a good best practice, especially in case of questions from the Comptroller’s office later on.

How Bookkeeping Systems Help (and Where Issues Can Arise)

This is where good systems make a real difference.

Many Maryland retailers use bookkeeping software like QuickBooks Online or integrated point-of-sale systems to manage sales tax. These tools can help by allowing businesses to:

• Assign specific tax categories to individual products

• Flag ENERGY STAR–qualified items correctly

• Automatically separate taxable and exempt sales

• Generate cleaner sales tax reports at filing time

The key is setup.

Before the holiday weekend begins, it’s important to review product tax mappings and confirm that qualifying items are coded properly. Online stores and POS systems should also be tested to make sure sales tax is not applied to exempt items — while continuing to charge tax on non-qualifying products.

When settings aren’t reviewed ahead of time, businesses sometimes discover too late that tax was charged by mistake. Correcting those errors usually means issuing refunds to customers, which creates extra work that could have been avoided with a little preparation.

A Small Window That Rewards Planning

Like many things related to taxes and bookkeeping, Shop Maryland Energy Weekend isn’t complicated — but it does reward awareness and preparation.

For consumers, it’s a chance to save a little upfront while making energy-efficient upgrades that may reduce costs over time.

For Maryland business owners, it’s a reminder that even brief tax holidays require thoughtful setup, accurate tracking, and follow-through when it comes time to report sales.

When systems are in place and expectations are clear, the weekend doesn’t feel disruptive. It simply becomes part of the rhythm of doing business in Maryland.

And especially when it’s cold outside and staying cozy indoors sounds like the best plan, that kind of quiet preparedness tends to pay off.