Feb. 17--If you're feeling the pinch of the penny-on-the-dollar Cook County sales tax increase that kicked in Jan. 1, a handful of Chicago retailers will grant a reprieve, at least for a day.
Block 37 is holding a "tax free" shopping day on Leap Day, Feb. 29, when some of its retailers will give a discount equal to Chicago's current 10.25 percent sales tax, said Block 37 spokeswoman Allie Duncan.
Duncan said the event is a "thank you" to customers amid ongoing construction at the shopping center at 108 N. State St.
900 North Michigan Shops has hosted a similar sales tax holiday on Presidents Day for the last seven years, but this year it has moved it to April 15-17 -- right around the time people are getting their tax refunds and may have some extra dollars to spend, said spokeswoman Lauren Edelman.
Participating retailers are also boosting the discount to 15 percent this year, she said.
"I think the discounts do draw more people, especially since a lot of our retailers never discount products," Edelman said.
But unlike the summer sales tax holiday Illinois had in 2010, neither event is state-sanctioned and the Illinois Department of Revenue will still be looking for its share. Retailers will be sending a cut of customers' discounted tabs to the state, Edelman and Duncan said.
lzumbach@tribpub.com
