Budget + Tax

Bad Santa: Sobering ‘sin taxes’ in Illinois among nation’s highest

Excise taxes have failed to rehabilitate Illinois’ failing fiscal health. But lawmakers have yet to kick the habit.

New car trade-in tax will hit Illinois drivers New Year’s Day

Illinois will impose a new sales tax on vehicle trade-ins beginning New Year’s Day. That’s why car dealerships have been running radio ads for weeks telling Illinoisans to come on down before the ball drops.

By Austin Berg

Will County board to vote on 4-cent countywide gas tax following doubled Illinois tax

Included in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s capital plan is increased taxing power for some county governments to create or raise countywide gas taxes. Will County could be the first to exercise that authority.

By Vincent Caruso

Tax on Uber, Lyft rides in downtown Chicago set to triple Jan. 1

Chicagoans will pay higher taxes on rideshare trips in 2020 as part of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s first budget.

By Vincent Caruso

New taxes and fees on Illinois driving, vehicles total $1.9B

Jan. 1 marks a second wave of taxes aimed at drivers to support an infrastructure package championed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and shrouded in corruption allegations.

Repeal Day: Prohibition ended 86 years ago, but Illinois’ alcohol taxes, regulations remain sobering

With the ratification of the 21st Amendment, 1933 marked the end of Prohibition in the United States. Illinois, however, has continued to serve a cocktail of prohibitive regulations on alcoholic beverages.

By Vincent Caruso

When drivers shift into ‘park’ after Jan. 1, Illinois will move to collect taxes

Illinoisans paying to park will see a new tax beginning in January. Even parking on someone’s lawn for a special event will be taxed.

Senate President John Cullerton set to collect $2M pension

Due to a pension sweetener available only to veteran Illinois lawmakers, Cullerton’s annual pension will soon be more than he ever made from his Statehouse salary.

By Austin Berg

Chicago’s 2020 budget proposal was never truly balanced

Faced with the impossible task of balancing Chicago’s budget without pension reform, Mayor Lori Lightfoot is forced to partially rely on phantom cuts and revenues.

By Adam Schuster, Bill Reveille

Power in payments: Illinois can help unbanked residents, save money by adopting best practices in payment methods

Each year, tens of billions of dollars flow through Illinois state government.1 These flows all depend on methods of payment. In deciding on those payment methods, policymakers must consider a number of important factors, including security controls, cost effectiveness, accessibility, speed and allowance for choice. This report shows that by adopting best practices across all...

Illinois cellphone taxes are highest in nation, average $374 a year

Taxes alone hike the average Illinois cellphone bill by 31%.

By Brad Weisenstein

Bill aims to pay Illinois lawmakers only for days they actually work

Lawmakers can currently work one day to qualify for a whole month’s pay. A bill to change that has been stuck in committee since the spring.

Lightfoot asks Springfield for progressive ‘exit tax’ on Chicago property sales

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants state lawmakers to let her impose progressively higher real estate transfer tax rates to close a $838 million budget deficit. She faces a limited time window and resistance from state lawmakers.

By Brad Weisenstein

With Illinois on deck, state tax hikes just lost big at the ballot box

If other states’ recent tax votes are any indication, Pritzker’s proposal could be a tougher sell than he thinks.

By Austin Berg