In 2012, Illinoisans will have to work 114 days to earn enough to pay their combined federal, state and local tax bill – seven days longer than the average of all the states. The Tax Foundation released their annual “Tax Freedom Day” report, which determines how long residents must work to pay off all tax...

The Daily Herald published an editorial that highlighted a recent story about Illinois trial judges being the highest in the nation. The story featured research and commentary from the Illinois Policy Institute.

Ever notice that going out to eat seems more expensive in Chicago than other cities? One of the reasons is that on top of the very high sales tax in Chicago, there are additional taxes on meals in restaurants: 0.25 percent Chicago restaurant tax and 1.0 percent Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) food and...

by Kristina Rasmussen The Cook County Board of Commissioners is looking at a broad array of tax and fee hikes to make up for a budget shortfall, and significant increases for wine, beer, and liquor taxes are all on the menu. These tax hikes pose a direct threat to local bar and restaurant operators, many of...

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson As Illinois state legislators head back to Springfield for the veto session next week, pension reform is the hot topic on everyone’s mind. The time for reform is now, but what solutions are available to legislators? The right way: Taking the difficult, but necessary steps towards real pension reform that ensures there will be money...

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson Yesterday, Chicago’s new mayor, Rahm Emanuel, released his first budget proposal. In his prepared budget address, he acknowledged that Chicago’s history of unbalanced budgets could not continue, and he recognized that “What we cannot do, however, is to protect the status quo by asking more of Chicago’s taxpayers. Raising taxes will drive more people...