For only the second time in Illinois history, the Illinois General Assembly has approved a sales tax holiday.

Dates:   August 7, 2026 through August 16, 2026

Tax Rate During the Holiday

During this period, the Illinois state sales tax rate on qualifying items will be 1.25%.

While commonly referred to as a "sales tax holiday," the tax is not completely eliminated. Instead, the state portion of the sales tax is reduced from the normal 6.25% rate to 1.25%, resulting in significant savings for consumers.

Qualifying Products

The reduced tax rate applies to:

Read the full article here

From the CEO:

What 250 Years of America Can Teach Us About Small Business️

Next month, America will begin celebrating a remarkable milestone: the 250th anniversary of our nation's founding.

For 250 years, generations of Americans have built businesses, raised families, solved problems, and strengthened their communities. While much has changed since 1776, some things remain remarkably the same.

Success still belongs to people willing to work smart, adapt, serve others, and persevere through challenges.

Hardware store owners and retailers represent one of the most enduring examples of the American entrepreneurial spirit. Many of your businesses have served customers for decades. Some have been passed from one generation to the next. Others have weathered recessions, changing technologies, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and increasing competition.

Yet you continue to show up every day.

You continue to answer questions, solve problems, support local organizations, sponsor community events, and help customers complete projects that improve their homes and lives.

That matters.

One of the strengths of independent businesses is that they understand something larger competitors often struggle to replicate: relationships.

Customers may come in looking for a product, but they return because of trust.



They know your name. They know your team. They know you'll help them find the right solution rather than simply sell them an item. Just like when I told you about my Dad’s hardware store visits in Verona.

Those relationships are built one conversation at a time, one project at a time, and one customer at a time. In many ways, which is also how America was built.

Not through one grand event, but through millions of people doing their jobs, serving their neighbors, and contributing to their communities.

As we reflect on 250 years of our nation's history, it is worth remembering that the future will be shaped in much the same way.

The challenges facing small businesses today are real. Finding and retaining employees remains difficult. Margins are tight. Regulations continue to increase. Technology changes rapidly. The pace of business often feels relentless.

Yet small business owners have always found a way forward.

Innovation, resilience, and community have carried previous generations through challenging times, and those same strengths continue to drive independent businesses today.

At Midwest Hardware Association, we are honored to support you in that journey. Whether through membership resources, advocacy efforts, accounting services, tax planning, education, or simply serving as a trusted partner, our goal is to help you spend less time worrying about the back office and more time focusing on your customers and your business.

The future belongs to those who continue building.

Thank you for everything you do for your communities, your employees, your customers, and the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Have a safe and happy 4^th of July and 250^th birthday!

If you haven't already completed this survey through one of our MHA accountants, please take the time to complete this survey and learn about the benefits of doing so.

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"We've been working with MHA for several years and have had a consistently great experience. The team is responsive, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. We appreciate the support MHA provides and value their partnership."

-Daniel W.



MHA is a proud member of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC). WMC represents businesses of all sizes and from every sector of the economy and may very well mirror the challenges and opportunities you face in your state. They are strong business advocates! The Wisconsin Employer Survey provides a snapshot of where Wisconsin’s employers stand on important issues and outlines their economic outlook for both Wisconsin and the United States. For the Summer 2026 edition, WMC surveyed 196 employers that make up a representative sample of its membership and the state’s business community as a whole.

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