Halloween rules in some Illinois cities are no treat

by Dylan Sharkey, Illinois Policy

Photo: Jill Wellington/Pexels

Put on a costume, grab a bag and get free treats? It’s not so simple in Illinois, where cities’ Halloween rules restrict the simple fun.

There are tricks to getting treats on Halloween in Illinois – some are old rules in cities trying to stop some long-forgotten issue, and others are recent from communities that won’t trust residents to make good choices about COVID-19.

Oak Brook, Elmhurst, Western Springs and La Grange are among towns that set hours for trick-or-treating, starting at 2 or 3 p.m. and ending no later than 8 p.m.

Darien and Downers Grove don’t set hours, but recommend no trick-or-treating when it’s dark outside. (Trick-or-treating after dark? The horrors!)

The village of Hinsdale is offering residents premade yard signs: One welcoming trick-or-treaters, one telling costumed kids to get off their lawn and one asking that they wear a mask. Masks from a costume don’t count.

"If your costume has a mask, it must prevent the spread of aerosols from your mouth and nose to qualify. Social distancing of at least 6 feet is recommended whenever possible. Wait for trick-or-treaters ahead of you to leave the home before proceeding for your treat," Hinsdale city leaders advised aerosol-emitting youngsters.

Forsyth, just outside Decatur, imposes a $750 fine for approaching a house with no porch lights on for free candy.

Belleville has an age restriction: nobody older than 12 can trick-or-treat. If caught committing "Halloween Solicitation," they can face a fine of up to $1,000.

Kids should make sure they research their local ordinances before hitting the streets on Halloween. Just allowing parents to set the rules is too scary for some places.

When it comes to Halloween, Illinois tax on treats is almost scary

by Dylan Sharkey, Illinois Policy

Taxes are different on different types of candy in Illinois, with some brands taxed six times more than others. Just because you can eat it, doesn’t mean Illinois’ tax policy sees it as food.

Photo: Sebbi Strauch/Unsplash

Illinois shoppers will pay higher taxes depending on the type of candy they choose for trick-or-treaters – at least six times higher taxes for some brands.

In Illinois, treats prepared with flour don’t count as "candy". That means Halloween favorites with flour including Kit Kats, Twizzlers and Twix aren’t recognized as candy because Illinois considers them to be food.

Candy sales are taxed at 6.25%. Treats containing flour are considered regular grocery items and taxed at 1%. So the sales tax for a Hershey’s milk chocolate bar is over six-fold the tax of the Cookies & Cream version.

States such as Arzona and Michigan consider all candy grocery items, with no special tax rate. California exempts all groceries from sales taxes.

Sales taxes in 2021 will net Illinois an estimated $7.4 billion, the second-highest revenue source behind income taxes. When you stock up for Halloween in Illinois, a little flour in your treats could save you a little dough.