Fun with numbers
Tuesday, Aug 4, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Background…
Parents starting on back-to-school shopping will get a temporary sales tax break for 10 days this month.
From Friday, Aug. 7, through Aug. 16 the state’s sales tax on school supplies will be reduced from 6.25% to 1.25%. Items with a lower sales tax will include traditional supplies such as markers and pencils, notebooks and folders and other classroom items, as well as many clothing purchases.
* So, it’s a five percentage point reduction, not a 5 percent reduction, as is claimed below. And the resulting 1.25 percentage rate is specifically collected for local governments…
As a commenter notes, this is also an 80 percent decrease, not a five percent decrease.
* From the new statute…
“School supplies” do not include school art supplies; school instructional materials; cameras; film and memory cards; videocameras, tapes, and videotapes; computers; cell phones; Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs); handheld electronic schedulers; and school computer supplies.
I do agree that school art supplies should be included.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 1:18 pm:
I think the law needs to be updated. Quite a bit of the excluded materials are definitely school supplies.
- Dotnonymous x - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 1:24 pm:
School supplies are provided by the state in developed countries.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 1:28 pm:
I STILL am laughing they picked the teachers store where my wife shops at a mile and a half from my house.
- JR - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 1:46 pm:
If we have public school art teachers, then please include art supplies next year. Thanks.
- Duck Duck Goose - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 1:50 pm:
According to my calculations, a reduction from 6.25% to 1.25% reduces the tax by 80%–not 5%. If you’re gonna get hypertechnical, then you gotta get hypertechnical. You can’t be a sloppy nitpicker.
- Oklahoma - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 2:03 pm:
Ugh. I have been waiting all year to buy my videotapes. Now I find out…
- Amalia - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 2:05 pm:
there’s a school in chicago that threw out a bunch of things and lots are circulating the dumpster view. things that could be used, say, in an underdeveloped nation. like we send them pieces of equipment we no longer use. so much is valuable for instruction, like for purchases for art, drama–set construction, reuse of materials for art. our schools and students need lots.
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 2:33 pm:
===I do agree that school art supplies should be included. ===
I presume that the interpretation of the law would include markers, construction paper, tape, colored pencils, scissors and other things that are typically consider appropriate art supplies for children.
Oil paints, brushes, canvasses, et al, are not commonly found in a K-12 classroom environment. I can see why for policy purposes excluding art supplies is the easiest way to avoid that, but also maybe rich kids don’t need a break on their oil paints, canvasses, et al.
===School supplies are provided by the state in developed countries. ===
I think this is the bigger issue than whether or not people are paying sales taxes on their personal purchases of school supplies for their children.
- City Zen - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 3:03 pm:
==t’s a five percentage point reduction, not a 5 percent reduction==
Tell that to the state.
“The State’s portion of sales tax due throughout the holiday is reduced by 5 percent (5.00%) from 6.25 percent (6.25%) to 1.25 percent (1.25%).”
https://tax.illinois.gov/research/news/fy-2026-30-news.html
- NitPicker - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 3:30 pm:
Tax.illinois.gov, “The State’s portion of sales tax due throughout the holiday is reduced by 5 percent (5.00%) from 6.25 percent (6.25%) to 1.25 percent (1.25%).”
JB, “ten days of zero state sales tax…”
That’s not consistent.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 4:00 pm:
===That’s not consistent. ===
If you’d read the post, you’d know that the 1.25 percent is collected for local governments.
But of course you didn’t.
- Jack in Chatham - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 4:24 pm:
I hate these gimmicks by these two faced hypocritical phonies. How about raise the standard deduction on the income tax to $31,000 which is about minimum wage? Thanks for the big favor, not.
- NitPicker - Wednesday, Aug 5, 26 @ 9:24 am:
===If you’d read the post, you’d know that the 1.25 percent is collected for local governments.
But of course you didn’t.===
I did.
“…the resulting 1.25 percentage rate is specifically collected for local governments…” was your statement/clarification. The inconsistencies that I was pointing out were from direct quotes from the Gov and the ILDOR website. I’m not sure that everyone who watches the Gov’s press conferences comes here for clarification.