http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/arlington_heights/ct-tl-arlington-heights-downtown-sales-tax-rebate-20121213,0,4505245.story
I love this line from a shop owner who had never heard of the tax break, "Sometimes, politicians write these things and they look wonderful in
the newspapers, like they're doing a lot with the program," Scheffler
said. "But if they're not letting you know about it, they'll still have
money in their pocket and they get a gold star for their effort."
This reminds me of many exemptions where the taxpayer has to apply for a refund, credit or rebate. They just can't take the exemption at the time of purchase. So the state can claim they grant an exemption, but they don't lose as much revenue.
And you wonder why I'm cynical.