DAVENPORT, Iowa — Families looking to save a little cash on back-to-school items can take advantage of the annual Iowa "Sales Tax Holiday" on Friday, August 4 and Saturday, August 5.
The Iowa state sales tax is currently 6%, not including local sales tax.
The exemption only applies to clothing and footwear that meet certain criteria, mainly being that they do not cost more than $100 per item.
The Iowa Department of Revenue defines clothing as "any article of wearing apparel and typical footwear intended to be worn on or about the human body." So it does not include items such as watches, sporting equipment, or umbrellas, among others.
There are more restrictions and exceptions to the rule that are detailed here on the Iowa Department of Revenue website.
All Iowa businesses that are open on Friday and Saturday are required to participate.
Illinois
Illinois will not be having a sales tax holiday in 2023.
For 10 days in August of 2022, the state lowered the sales tax by 5%. The rate fell from 6.25% to 1.25% on back-to-school supplies.
The first-ever sales tax holiday was enacted in 2010, then brought back again in 2022.