In the title salt, [Zn(C6H15NO3) (2)](C8H4O4), the Zn-II cation, located on a centre of inversion, is coordinated by four O atoms and two N atoms from two tridentate 2-[bis(2hydroxyethyl)amino]ethanol (BHEA) ligands, giving rise to a slightly distorted octahedral geometry. The terephthalate dianion, located about a centre of inversion, is not coordinated to Zn-II but is connected through O-H center dot center dot center dot O contacts with [Zn(BHEA)(2)](2+) cations, leading to a three-dimensional crystal structure.