With the start of the new school year approaching, State Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-West Chicago, is encouraging parents to take advantage of the Back-to-School State Tax Holiday on school supplies, clothing, shoes and other items over a 10-day period, starting this Friday, Aug. 7 through Aug. 16.
“As a parent and former teacher, I know how expensive it can be to gather supplies for the upcoming school year,” said Hirschauer. “That’s why, down in Springfield, I worked diligently with my colleagues to support a state sales tax holiday that’ll help parents and teachers pay less on the necessities their students need for school.”
Starting this Friday, Aug. 7, the state’s sales tax will drop from 6.25% down to 1.25% on common back-to-school items, such as:
- Clothes and school uniforms
- Shoes, boots and sandals
- Seasonal apparel, including coats, rain jackets, swimwear, hats and gloves
- School and office supplies, including paper, pens and pencils, calculators and writing tablets
- Backpacks and lunchboxes
- And more!
Some exclusions apply. To view a thorough list of applicable items and exclusions, visit the Illinois Department of Revenue at: https://tax.illinois.gov/research/publications/bulletins/fy-2026-30.html.
“Our students deserve quality supplies in their classrooms, and I hope parents and teachers are able to take advantage of this opportunity to buy school necessities at a discounted price,” said Hirschauer.
