Sales Tax in Illinois
Illinois's sales tax is genuinely NOT one statewide number: a 6.25% state base rate, plus real, jurisdiction-set local add-ons across 567 separate taxing jurisdictions, producing combined rates from 6.25% up to a real Chicago high of 10.25% -- one of the highest combined sales tax rates of any major US city.
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Learn moreA real, 567-jurisdiction local add-on structure
Illinois's 6.25% state base sales tax rate applies everywhere, but 567 separate local taxing jurisdictions (municipalities, counties, and special transit/business districts) each set their own additional local rate, averaging roughly 2.61% statewide and producing a real statewide average combined rate around 8.86%.
Chicago's real 10.25% combined rate, broken down
Chicago's own combined sales tax rate reaches a real, genuinely high 10.25% -- built from the 6.25% state rate, plus a 1.75% city rate, a 1.25% Cook County rate, and a 1% Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) transit surcharge. This is one of the highest combined sales tax rates of any major US city, and distinct from the more moderate combined rates common elsewhere in the state.
Confirm your specific municipality before budgeting
Because Illinois's combined rate genuinely varies by where you shop, confirm your specific target municipality's current combined rate directly rather than assuming one statewide Illinois sales-tax figure -- the gap between the 6.25% floor and Chicago's 10.25% high is large enough to matter for everyday budgeting.
How this compares to Illinois's income tax structure
Illinois runs a simple, moderate flat state income tax (4.95%) alongside a real, jurisdiction-varying sales tax that can run substantially higher in practice than many peer states' combined rates -- a genuinely different tax-burden shape than a low-income-tax, low-sales-tax state. This record does not claim Illinois's sales tax is uniform; it genuinely is not.
Key takeaways
- Illinois's sales tax is a 6.25% state base PLUS a real, jurisdiction-set local add-on across 567 taxing jurisdictions.
- The statewide average combined rate runs around 8.86%; Chicago's own combined rate reaches a real 10.25% (6.25% state + 1.75% city + 1.25% Cook County + 1% RTA transit surcharge).
- Confirm your specific target municipality's current combined sales tax rate directly -- there is no single statewide Illinois figure that substitutes for this.
- Chicago's 10.25% combined rate is among the highest of any major US city -- a real, disclosed cost factor for everyday purchases there specifically.
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Get local guidanceRead the full Illinois overview for the complete picture, or explore individual cities and towns we've researched.
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