New Cook County hotel tax will make visiting Chicago even pricier
New Cook County hotel tax will make visiting Chicago even pricier
Cook County’s new 1 percent hotel tax will raise Chicago’s combined hotel tax to 17.4 percent in 2016.
Déjà vu: Illinois faces $8.5 billion in unpaid bills and calls for a tax hike
Déjà vu: Illinois faces $8.5 billion in unpaid bills and calls for a tax hike
The 2011 income-tax hike was supposed to address the state’s unpaid bills and ailing government-worker pensions; but five years and $31 billion in additional revenues later, Illinois’ unpaid bills are back up to 2011 levels, and the state’s government-worker pension debt has soared to $111 billion.
City of Chicago to Netflix subscribers: Bah, humbug!
City of Chicago to Netflix subscribers: Bah, humbug!
The Liberty Justice Center sued the city of Chicago in September to compel the city to stop collecting a 9 percent amusement tax on Internet-based streaming video, audio and gaming services.
Hear them ring: Illinois wireless taxes jack up the price of Christmas gifts
Hear them ring: Illinois wireless taxes jack up the price of Christmas gifts
Illinoisans pay more in wireless taxes than residents of any neighboring state.
This Christmas, property taxes are robbing the McCallisters
This Christmas, property taxes are robbing the McCallisters
The fictional family from “Home Alone” has paid nearly $750,000 in property taxes since the film’s release, and real Illinois families are struggling under a massive local tax burden.
Madigan skips meeting with leaders, governor
Madigan skips meeting with leaders, governor
Illinois has gone without a comprehensive budget for six months.
Home is where the hurt is: How property taxes are crushing Illinois’ middle class
Home is where the hurt is: How property taxes are crushing Illinois’ middle class
Illinoisans’ property taxes are going up while salaries are stagnant at best.
Retirement-tax resolution
Retirement-tax resolution
Thirty-nine Illinois state representatives have signed on to a resolution stating their opposition to the imposition of a state tax on retirement income as revenue plans circulate ahead of state budget negotiations in 2016.
Growing out of control: Property taxes put increasing burden on Illinois taxpayers
Growing out of control: Property taxes put increasing burden on Illinois taxpayers
Property taxes are the single largest tax in Illinois, burdening residents far more than either income or sales taxes. Illinoisans already know they pay high property taxes. But what is not as well known is that property taxes are outpacing residents’ ability to pay for them. Over the past 50 years, whether measured in comparison...
Madigan wants to raise income taxes again
Madigan wants to raise income taxes again
Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan says Illinois’ income taxes should be increased to at least 5 percent.
Illinois Lottery will pay winners starting Dec. 14
Illinois Lottery will pay winners starting Dec. 14
Funds provided through Senate Bill 2039, which Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law Dec. 7, will allow the Illinois Lottery to resume paying winning ticket holders.
The Chicago squeeze: Property taxes, fees and over 30 individual taxes crush city residents
The Chicago squeeze: Property taxes, fees and over 30 individual taxes crush city residents
Chicagoans are the most-taxed residents of any major city in Illinois and pay the 10th-highest property taxes compared to taxpayers in other large U.S. cities.
Cassandra Bajak
Cassandra Bajak
“I have friends who are very successful and friends who are barely getting by. I’d say our family is in the middle of that, living paycheck to paycheck. My husband is an Army veteran and we have two kids. “We love our neighborhood. We love our house. We built it 13 years ago and our...
Illinois sitting on upward of $80 million in unpaid lottery winnings, attorney says
Illinois sitting on upward of $80 million in unpaid lottery winnings, attorney says
Amid budget gridlock, Illinois lottery winners sue to have their winnings paid with interest and to prevent the state from selling more tickets it can’t pay out.