Sales taxes can exceed 10% in Illinois depending on where consumers do their holiday shopping. The average has been creeping up in recent years.

by Ben VanMetre Illinois is notorious for not paying its bills on time. Thousands of businesses, contractors and nonprofits choose to do business with the state of Illinois each year, providing everything from charity work to medical services to office supplies. These organizations are the state’s vendors. The problem is Illinois doesn’t pay these vendors...