Missouri and Illinois are kicking off their annual back-to-school sales tax holidays on Friday, giving shoppers a chance to save money when they purchase clothing, school supplies and certain electronics. But the two states' tax holidays differ in timing, discounts and which items qualify.
Missouri
The state's tax-free holiday runs Aug. 7-9. Purchases that qualify will be exempt from all state and local sales taxes during that time period.
Anyone who makes a qualified purchase, not just those shopping for students, can take advantage of the discount. Also, you don't need to be a Missouri resident to purchase tax-exempt items during the holiday.
Missouri's cities and municipalities were once able to opt out of the sales tax exemption. However, a 2021 change required all governments to participate and waive their local sales taxes.
The Missouri Department of Revenue has published a full list of the items that qualify, as well as a frequently asked questions section. Here's a closer look at what items are eligible:
Clothing
Missouri's tax holiday applies to most clothing and footwear, including fabric used to make school uniforms. It does not cover accessories such as jewelry, watches, handbags, umbrellas, scarves, ties or belt buckles. An article of clothing cannot exceed a taxable value of $100.
Personal computers
Shoppers can also save on qualifying personal computers, including desktop and laptop systems, as well as many computer components and accessories designed for use with them, like keyboards, monitors, printers, scanners and software costing $350 or less. The price of a computer cannot exceed $1,500.
School supplies
The exemption covers many classroom essentials, including textbooks, notebooks, paper, pencils and pens, crayons, art supplies, rulers, backpacks, maps, globes and calculators. It does not apply to items such as headphones, sporting equipment, office furniture, telephones or copiers. Qualifying graphing calculators priced at $150 or less are also included.
Illinois
The back-to-school sales tax holiday runs Aug. 7-16. Unlike Missouri, Illinois doesn't offer full relief from sales taxes. Instead, the state sales tax rate will be reduced from 6.25% to 1.25%. Also, local sales taxes in Illinois will still apply to any purchases made during that time.
Clothing items, including shoes, that cost less than $125 qualify for the lower sales tax rate. There is no price limit on school supplies. In Illinois, computers and computer supplies do not get a discount.
A full list of what qualifies in Illinois, and what doesn't, can be found here.
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