SQL Server – Adding ‘Last Time Occurred’ Flag Column

These two queries rely on the assumption that Taco_value always increases over time.

;WITH x AS
(
  SELECT Taco_ID, Taco_date,
    dr = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY Taco_ID, Taco_Value ORDER BY Taco_date),
    qr = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY Taco_ID ORDER BY Taco_date)
  FROM dbo.Taco
), y AS
(
  SELECT Taco_ID, Taco_date,
    rn = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY Taco_ID, dr ORDER BY qr DESC)
  FROM x WHERE dr = 1
)
SELECT Taco_ID, Taco_date
FROM y 
WHERE rn = 1;

An alternative with fewer window function madness:

;WITH x AS
(
  SELECT Taco_ID, Taco_value, Taco_date = MIN(Taco_date)
  FROM dbo.Taco
  GROUP BY Taco_ID, Taco_value
), y AS
(
  SELECT Taco_ID, Taco_date, 
    rn = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY Taco_ID ORDER BY Taco_date DESC)
  FROM x
)
SELECT Taco_ID, Taco_date FROM y WHERE rn = 1;

Examples at SQLfiddle

Update

For those keeping track, there was contention over what happens if Taco_value could ever repeat. If it could go from 1 to 2 and then back to 1 for any given Taco_ID, the queries will not work. Here is a solution for that case, even if it isn't quite the gaps & islands technique that someone like Itzik Ben-Gan may be able to dream up, and even if it isn't relevant for the OP's scenario - it may be relevant to a future reader. It's a little more complex, and I also added an additional variable - a Taco_ID that only ever has one Taco_value.

If you want to include the first row for any ID where value didn't change at all in the entire set:

;WITH x AS
(
  SELECT *, rn = ROW_NUMBER() OVER 
    (PARTITION BY Taco_ID ORDER BY Taco_date DESC)
  FROM dbo.Taco
), rest AS (SELECT * FROM x WHERE rn > 1)
SELECT  
  main.Taco_ID, 
  Taco_date = MIN(CASE 
    WHEN main.Taco_value = rest.Taco_value 
    THEN rest.Taco_date ELSE main.Taco_date 
  END)
FROM x AS main LEFT OUTER JOIN rest
ON main.Taco_ID = rest.Taco_ID AND rest.rn > 1
WHERE main.rn = 1
AND NOT EXISTS 
(
  SELECT 1 FROM rest AS rest2
   WHERE Taco_ID = rest.Taco_ID
   AND rn < rest.rn
   AND Taco_value <> rest.Taco_value
) 
GROUP BY main.Taco_ID;

If you want to exclude those rows, it's a bit more complex, but still minor changes:

;WITH x AS
(
  SELECT *, rn = ROW_NUMBER() OVER 
    (PARTITION BY Taco_ID ORDER BY Taco_date DESC)
  FROM dbo.Taco
), rest AS (SELECT * FROM x WHERE rn > 1)
SELECT 
  main.Taco_ID, 
  Taco_date = MIN(
  CASE 
    WHEN main.Taco_value = rest.Taco_value 
    THEN rest.Taco_date ELSE main.Taco_date 
  END)
FROM x AS main INNER JOIN rest -- ***** change this to INNER JOIN *****
ON main.Taco_ID = rest.Taco_ID AND rest.rn > 1
WHERE main.rn = 1
AND NOT EXISTS
(
  SELECT 1 FROM rest AS rest2
   WHERE Taco_ID = rest.Taco_ID
   AND rn < rest.rn
   AND Taco_value <> rest.Taco_value
)
AND EXISTS -- ***** add this EXISTS clause ***** 
(
  SELECT 1 FROM rest AS rest2
   WHERE Taco_ID = rest.Taco_ID
   AND Taco_value <> rest.Taco_value
)
GROUP BY main.Taco_ID;

Updated SQLfiddle examples

Edited based on your sample data.

For an item number to have a total quantity of two or more in a given date range:

 Select MachineRefNo, ItemNumber, Sum(Quantity) NumberOfItems
       From Table
       Where OrderDate Between DateRangeStart And DateRangeEnd        
       Group By MachineRefNo, ItemNumber
       Having Sum(Quantity) > 1

For an item number to have two or more records in a given data range:

Select MachineRefNo, ItemNumber, Count(*) NumberOfOccurances
   From Table
   Where OrderDate Between DateRangeStart And DateRangeEnd        
   Group By MachineRefNo, ItemNumber
   Having Count(*) > 1