The Illinois tax holiday comparison shows major differences across nearby states in 2026. Illinois offers a 10-day state-rate reduction, Iowa provides a two-day clothing exemption, and Missouri removes state and local tax from qualifying school purchases for three days.
Illinois offers the longest nearby holiday
Read our complete guide to the Illinois tax holiday 2026 , including the dates, reduced tax rate, qualifying purchases and important shopping rules.
Illinois will reduce its state sales tax rate on qualifying purchases from Friday, August 7, through Sunday, August 16, 2026. The state portion falls from 6.25% to 1.25%, but applicable local sales taxes remain.
Qualifying clothing and footwear must cost less than $125 per item. Certain school supplies used by students are also covered and are not subject to the $125 threshold.
Before shopping, review our Illinois tax holiday eligible and excluded items checklist to see which clothing, footwear, school supplies and electronics qualify
Iowa focuses on clothing and footwear
Iowa’s annual sales tax holiday runs Friday, August 7, and Saturday, August 8, 2026. It fully removes state and local-option sales tax from qualifying clothing and footwear priced below $100 per item.
The Iowa exemption is limited to qualifying apparel and footwear and does not continue through Sunday, giving shoppers a shorter purchasing window than Illinois.
Missouri covers more product categories
Tax-holiday dates and purchase limits differ across the country. See our complete guide to 2026 back-to-school tax holidays by state for nationwide dates and rules:
Missouri’s holiday runs from Friday, August 7, through Sunday, August 9, 2026. Qualifying purchases are exempt from state and local sales taxes.
Missouri covers clothing priced at $100 or less, school supplies up to $50, graphing calculators up to $150, computer software up to $350 and personal computers or peripheral devices up to $1,500.
Three neighboring states offer no holiday
Indiana, Kentucky and Wisconsin do not have a sales tax holiday scheduled for 2026. Shoppers purchasing in those states will generally pay the applicable sales tax unless another product-specific exemption applies.
Illinois provides the longest shopping period and a higher apparel threshold than Iowa or Missouri, but it does not eliminate local sales taxes. Iowa offers a complete but narrower clothing exemption, while Missouri combines a three-day period with broader product coverage and full state-and-local tax relief.
Families can also estimate their potential savings in our guide explaining how much shoppers can save during the Illinois tax holiday 2026
Families should compare the products they need, individual price limits and the tax charged at the purchase location before deciding where to complete their back-to-school shopping.
