Illinois' tax-free back-to-school shopping unavailable this year

CHICAGO - Parents looking for tax-free back-to-school shopping will have to look outside Illinois this year.

Last year, Illinois was among several states that celebrated a sales tax holiday to help families save money on school essentials.

During the nine-day holiday, the state sales tax of 6.25 percent was cut to just 1.25 percent on select items.

SUBSCRIBE TO FOX 32 CHICAGO ON YOUTUBE

A statement from Governor JB Pritzker's office says, "Last year’s sales-tax free holiday was always designed to be a one-time measure to help fight inflation because the state had a surplus to work with... the Governor is committed to ensuring the state continues to live within its means while using surplus revenue to lift up working families."

The closest neighboring states to offer sales tax-free, back-to-school shopping are Iowa and Missouri. Those states will host their holiday starting August 5th.