Illinois diaper tax costs families $120 per year

Illinois is one of the states that taxes diapers, costing a family about $120 a year. Gov. J.B. Pritzker and 32 other governors are being asked to dispose of their diaper taxes.

As families nationwide face a baby formula shortage, a group is taking on another cost hurting the bottom lines of young families: diaper taxes.

Illinois is one of 33 states that applies a sales tax to diapers. The state tax on diapers is the general merchandise rate of 6.25%, while food and medicine are taxed at a lower rate of 1%.

The non-profit Baby2Baby is asking Twitter users to call on the 33 governors, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker, to eliminate all taxes on diapers.

Baby2baby shared a video of actor Gwyneth Paltrow promoting fictional diapers that cost $120 for a pack of 12 to raise awareness of diaper taxes. A family pays about $120 a year in taxes on diapers.

“If treating diapers like a luxury makes you mad, so should taxing them like a luxury,”  Paltrow said.

According to Baby2Baby, 1 in 3 moms can barely afford diapers. Even a small change in price could mean an extra month’s supply.

It’s especially difficult for low-income families because diapers are not covered by assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or the Women, Infants and Children low-income nutrition programs.

Since 2018, five states have repealed or suspended the diaper tax. Six other states have pending legislation to change their tax codes for diapers.

From the cradle to the grave, an Illinoisan will pay taxes totaling $693,792 – one-third more than the national average. With a baby formula shortage and record inflation, eliminating the diaper tax would be the grown-up thing to do.