Lightfoot looks to Springfield for more taxing power on high-end services, home sales

By Vincent Caruso

08/23/2019

Chicago’s mayor wants permission from Springfield to impose a new tax on high-end professional services and raise taxes on pricier home sales, as the city faces down a $1 billion deficit.

TAGS: Lori Lightfoot, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, real estate, service tax, taxes

Doubled gas tax creates losers in Illinois, winners across state lines

By Brad Weisenstein, Ben Szalinski

08/21/2019

Station owners said Illinois businesses were damaged July 1 when the gasoline tax doubled. Tax increases are keeping Illinois pumps quiet and cooling cigarette sales.

TAGS: gas tax, minimum wage, taxes

Cost of Illinois’ education bureaucracy crowds out classroom spending

By Adam Schuster

08/20/2019

More than 9,000 Illinois school district administrators earn more than $100,000 a year. Each of them will collect at least $3 million in pension benefits during retirement.

TAGS: education, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, rita mayfield, school district consolidation, school district efficiency

Chicago defends title of highest sales tax rate in the nation

By Ben Szalinski

08/14/2019

Chicago is tied with two other cities for the highest sales tax rates for a major U.S. city, adding another superlative for taxation of residents and visitors.

TAGS: Chicago, sales tax, tax foundation, taxes

Lake in the Hills approves over 9% hike to police pension levy

By Ben Szalinski

08/09/2019

The village will dedicate an estimated $1.5 million dollars to its police pension fund in 2019 – 9.17% more than it paid last year.

TAGS: Lake in the Hills, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, taxes

Pritzker promises over $10B in new spending on $3.4B progressive tax hike

By Tivas Gupta, Adam Schuster

08/07/2019

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “fair tax” plan falls far short of the revenue needed to pay for his spending promises – feeding fears of future tax hikes on middle-class families.

TAGS: budget, graduated income tax, income tax, JB Pritzker, progressive income tax, Spending, taxes

Cook County home values down 31%, property taxes up 22% since 2007

By Bryce Hill

08/06/2019

Without true pension reform, property taxes are only bound to continue swamping Cook County homeowners.

TAGS: Chicago, Cook County, home values, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, taxes

Will County weighs new 4- to 8-cent countywide gas tax atop doubled Illinois tax

By Vincent Caruso

08/03/2019

County leaders may exercise new taxing authority from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s capital plan. Illinois already doubled its portion of the gas tax, pushing the total burden to No. 3 in nation.

TAGS: gas tax, JB Pritzker, taxes, Will County

Illinois’ film tax credit program is theatrically bad

By Austin Berg

08/02/2019

Illinois’ film tax credit program is a slap in the face to the state’s small business community outside the spotlight, does little to grow good jobs and is rife with corruption.

TAGS: Cinespace, film subsidies, JB Pritzker, small business, tax credits, taxes

Illinois imposing car trade-in tax on Jan. 1; Dealers call it double taxation

By Joe Barnas

07/31/2019

The state collects no sales tax on trade-in value, but that changes next year. Car dealers call the $60 million to be collected ‘double taxation’ because trade-ins were taxed when purchased.