Sales Taxes Around Chicago and Illinois - A Helpful Guide to Direct Your Dollars

7/1/08 NEW! UPDATED! NOW WITH STROGER-DALEY TAX INCLUDED!!!! (Available in Crook County only)

In early 2003, I received a letter from the Village of Hillside extolling how the great city fathers had decided to relieve the peasantry of the annual burden of a $10 tax per motor vehicle (the vehicle sticker, aka "license" fee). Their offered reasoning was that the cops really didn't need it anymore to track Hillside vehicles (Not that this was ever its intended purpose nor that it was ever actually used for this purpose. I always listed a car that I had junked before I moved to Hillside 17 years ago; never heard a squeak.) and that it brought in so little money that it just wasn't worth the bother. Their decision was prominently displayed in their monthly newsletter that arrives with the water bill. I'm sure it was greatly touted in the neighborhood papers that I don't get and anyplace that the over-65 crowd congregates.

They did not broadcast that Hillside more than replaced the nuisance car sticker with a 1% boost in the aggregate sales tax. This is permitted by the state constitution under the "home rule" provision. When home rule was placed before the voters of Hillside, it was promoted as a means to get the state out of Hillside's affairs. Home rule would banish interference from those nasty state bureaucrats. It was really a back door to an eventual sales tax increase just as ol' Harold Washington had done in Chicago years back.

Well, I know that there isn't much to buy in Hillside and the extra tax doesn't affect my bottom line much, especially since I visit Kane and DuPage counties every workday and have ample opportunity to avoid stores in Crook County. But these home rule sales taxes are yet another example of how we suffer a death of a thousand cuts at the hands of our nominally elected officials who are forever trying to enlarge and enhance their empires.

I note from looking at store receipts that more burbs are getting in on the party. So, to help us all keep our money while rewarding towns that practice restraint, I offer the following list of sales tax rates derived from the official Illinois Dept of Revenue Publication ST-25, July 2008.

Special Awards

Last place in Illinois to Buy Anything: Stone Park, Bellwood, and E. Dundee 10.5%. Next to Last at 10.25%: Chicago, Stephensville (aka “Rosemont”), Norridge, Countryclub Hills… and others. Isn’t home rule a great thing? After all, they’re taxing only outsiders that come into their quaint villages. I guess they’ve never heard about rising tides and boats. And dig that special extra 1% soak for shopping at Stratford Square and Yorktown Center!

Soak the visitor award: Rosemont ("Stephensville"), 10.25% (Also, if you stop a car for longer than a traffic light, Son of Don Stephens will ding you at least $8 parking tax – this includes overnight and day parking at any of Stephensville’s wunnerful venues and hotels.)

Best Places in Illinois to Buy Everything: Just about anyplace away from northeastern Illinois and St. Louis, 6.25%

Still the Best deal going: Anyone with no presence in Illinois offering free shipment from outside of Illinois (Don't forget to pay your use tax on your IL1040. If you don't file an IL1040, you'll need to call IDOR for instructions)

Worst County to Buy Anything: Crook County

Alas, they needed more of our money to fund the empty Pace buses so now the Lowest rate in DuPage is: 7.00% in Lemont

The Data (Updated 7/08)

Here is a link to mysalestax.xls . It has various sortings of tax records that are relevant to me and may be useful to you. If you want the big book, go to http://www.revenue.state.il.us/publications/Sales/index.htm to see how we’re all getting slashed by a million razors.