Illinoisans will get tax relief on school supplies for next 10 days

For the primary time in additional than a decade, Illinois households and educators can get monetary savings on many back-to-school college provides in the course of the state’s tax vacation Aug. 5-14. 

Starting Friday, the state gross sales tax on college provides and different school-related objects will drop from 6.25% to 1.25%. 

The “Again to Faculty” tax vacation was included in a $1.8 billion tax aid invoice proposed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker late within the spring legislative session, and authorised by the final meeting. The tax aid comes at a time when inflation is at a historic excessive of 9.1% and has induced vital will increase in costs for fuel, groceries, and utilities. 

“Our mother and father shouldn’t have to decide on between shopping for important college provides for his or her youngsters and placing meals on the kitchen desk,” stated Pritzker in a press launch Thursday. “Our academics shouldn’t have to interrupt the financial institution to do proper by the scholars that they nurture day in and time out.” 

The state claims that in the course of the 10-day tax vacation, Illinois households may save as much as $50 million on college provides. 

Listed below are among the objects that qualify for the diminished gross sales tax: 

• Faculty uniforms
• Coats
• Sneakers
• Ebook baggage
• Calculators

Sadly, sure objects are excluded, together with: 

• Pc equipment
• Masks
• Sports activities or leisure gear like gloves or mouth guards
• Artwork provides like paint and watercolors

Gadgets over $125 are additionally excluded. 

Although anybody should buy these things in the course of the tax vacation, academics will discover loads to refill on, together with blackboard chalk, binders, index playing cards, and notebooks. Throughout tax time subsequent yr, academics will obtain an revenue tax credit score of as much as $250 for college provides they bought for his or her school rooms. 

Whereas this can be the primary back-to-school tax vacation for Illinoisians since 2010, many states across the nation do it yearly. Florida’s tax vacation began July 25 and ends Aug. 7. It features a low cost on clothes, footwear, college provides, youngsters’s books, and expertise. New Jersey’s tax vacation will happen Aug. 27-Sept. 5, and covers college provides, expertise, and athletic gear.

Samantha Smylie is the state training reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago, overlaying college districts throughout the state, laws, particular training, and the state board of training. Contact Samantha at ssmylie@chalkbeat.org.