No sales tax break on school supplies this year

If it seems like you are spending more on school supplies than you did last year, you aren't imagining things.

There's no state sales tax holiday this year and families are expected to spend about $25 more on supplies.

The sales tax break shoppers enjoyed at the start of August will not return. The result - you'll pay about 6.25% more on your school supply haul than you did last year.

"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," said Maura Kownacki, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Revenue, noting inflation has decreased.

She added that the state's budget invests in early childhood education and in financial aid for higher education.

The National Retail Federation estimates families with elementary-age students on average will spend $890.07 on back-to-school supplies ­- a record high. Last year, families averaged $864.35 on school supplies.

Before 2022, the last time the state offered a sales tax holiday was 2010.