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Illinois Sales Tax

On this page you will find handy sales and use tax information about Illinois.

How to use this page:

We’ve pulled in the information from all our Charts for a consolidated view by state.  Here you can see the sales tax rates and if the state has remote seller nexus rules. You can also see any sales tax holidays or amnesty programs that may exist, though these do not apply to all states.

Below the chart you can find any News & Tip item we have published that relates to Illinois that you can filter by topic. This will help you get informed on current and past legislation that has passed in the state.

State Sales Tax Rates
State Rate

6.250% The state has reduced rates for sales of certain types of items.
Range of Local Rates

0% – 5.25% Some local jurisdictions do not impose a sales tax.
Local Rates Apply to Use Tax

Yes/No Remote Sellers are required to collect state & local sales tax.
Remote Seller Nexus Rules
CLICK-THROUGH NEXUS

1/1/2015 – repealed effective 6/28/2019 – re-enacted effective 1/1/2020
AFFILIATE NEXUS

7/1/2011 – repealed effective 6/28/2019 – re-enacted effective 1/1/2020
ECONOMIC NEXUS

10/1/2018 – see state notice
MARKETPLACE NEXUS

1/1/2020
Sales Tax Amnesty
Status

Inactive

Amnesty Filing Dates

January 1, 2011 - October 15, 2011

Go to Illinois Amnesty Page
AMNESTY INCLUSION PERIODS

Any taxable period ending after June 30, 2004 and before January 1, 2011.

TAX TYPES AND CONDITIONS

Individual Use Tax
AMNESTY BENEFITS

No interest or penalties, no civil/criminal prosecution upon payment.

Status

Inactive

Amnesty Filing Dates

October 1, 2010 - November 8, 2010

Go to Illinois Amnesty Page
AMNESTY INCLUSION PERIODS

Any taxable period ending after June 30, 2002, and prior to July 1, 2009.

TAX TYPES AND CONDITIONS

Covers Business Sales and Use Tax; Taxpayers with eligible liabilities who don’t participate will be charged double interest & penalty under audit.
AMNESTY BENEFITS

No interest or penalties, no civil/criminal prosecution upon payment.

Status

Inactive

Amnesty Filing Dates

November 15, 2015 - December 31, 2015

Go to City of Chicago Amnesty Page
AMNESTY INCLUSION PERIODS

Unpaid tax liabilities incurred prior to January 1, 2012.

TAX TYPES AND CONDITIONS

The City of Chicago is offering a debt relief program providing individuals and businesses the opportunity to resolve outstanding debt. Included in the eligible debt are unpaid tax liabilities (for both non-filers and tax assessments) incurred prior to January 1, 2012. More details.
AMNESTY BENEFITS

Penalties, interest, and collection costs waived.

Status

Inactive

Amnesty Filing Dates

October 1, 2019 - November 15, 2019

Go to
AMNESTY INCLUSION PERIODS

Taxable periods after June 30, 2011 and prior to July 1, 2018.

TAX TYPES AND CONDITIONS

All taxes administered by the Illinois Department of Revenue.
AMNESTY BENEFITS

No interest or penalties, no civil/criminal prosecution upon payment.

Administration Information
Streamlined Sales Tax Status

Advisory State
NUMBER OF TAXING AUTHORITIES

563 Sales Tax Jurisdictions
HOME RULE AUTHORITIES

N/A
Sales Tax Sourcing (Intrastate)

Origin
Sales Tax Return Due Date

The 20th of the month following the reporting period
Exemption Information
RESALE CERTIFICATE

Illinois Resale Certificate
TYPES OF EXEMPTIONS

Product types of exemptions: sales of newspapers and magazines; sales of tangible personal property to interstate carriers for hire used as rolling stock; sales of machinery and equipment that will be used primarily in manufacturing or assembling of tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale or lease, and production agriculture; qualified sales of building materials

 

Entity types of exemptions: sales to state, local, and federal governments; sales to not-for-profit organizations that are exclusively charitable, religious, or educational

 

Illinois Exemption Certificates
State Links
State Tax Web Page

Illinois Department of Revenue
Rate Look-Up Page

Illinois Sales Tax Rate Look-Up
Registration Link

Register for Illinois Sales Tax
History & Fun Facts
HISTORY

  • The Illinois retailers’ occupation (sales) tax was enacted June 28, 1933.
  • National Bellas Hess Inc. v. Illinois Dept. of Revenue was a 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision that started paving the way for Internet sales tax and our current debates surrounding South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. National Bellas Hess was a mail order company based in Missouri. The company did not own tangible property in Illinois nor have sales outlets, representatives, or solicitors, and did not advertise in Illinois. It mailed catalogs twice a year to customers, occasionally supplemented by flyers. The Illinois Supreme Court determined the company should be required to collect and remit use tax for customers who purchased the company’s goods for use within Illinois. The U.S. Supreme Court held that the U.S. Due Process Clause and Commerce Clause required some physical presence in order for a state to impose a collection responsibility on an out-of-state seller. This ruling was overturned in South Dakota v. Wayfair.
FUN FACTS
  • In Illinois, candy has a broad definition in the way sales tax is imposed. However, candy items that contain flour or require refrigeration are not considered candy. For example, a candy made with flour, such as Twix, is not taxed, but a candy such as a Milky Way would be subject to sales tax.
  • While Illinois does not have any home-rule cities; there is continual legislative efforts to allow home-rule style audits.
  • Watch purchases from out-of-state sellers; they may have locations in and outside of Illinois. If your transaction is from an out-of-state location, make sure they collect only the 6.25% seller’s use tax v. defaulting to an Illinois ROT rate for their instate location. But if the seller is a true remote seller with no physical nexus, effective 1/1/21 they are required to collect state and local ROT instead of seller’s use tax.

Your Guide to Sales Tax in the Midwest

To catch you up and cut down your research time, we’ve compiled some of the essential Midwestern sales tax trends for 2024 that you need to know.

Remote Retailer Files Challenge to Illinois “Leveling the Playing Field” Laws

PetMeds, a Florida based online retailer of pet supplies and medication, has recently lodged a petition with the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal to challenge an audit assessment.

Dismissal of Illinois Qui Tam Claim Against UK Tailor Affirmed

A Chicago man’s qui tam action claim against a U.K. tailor was dismissed by a circuit court. The dismissal was recently affirmed by an Illinois Appellate Court.

State Notices & Resources for Remote Sellers

Use this state by state guide to find each state\’s initial guidance on how to proceed post-Wayfair, state resources such as FAQs, and any state activity such as going through a legislative process that impacts remote sellers.

Economic Nexus State by State Chart

Key information such as effective dates, thresholds, and includable sales for out-of-state sellers making sales into states that have enacted economic nexus legislation both before and after the South Dakota v. Wayfair Supreme Court decision.

Three Years of South Dakota v. Wayfair: Local Tax Issues

Learn why managing local taxes is such a large challenge for taxpayers post-Wayfair and about local efforts to simplify compliance. This is part 4 of our 5 part series on three years of the Wayfair decision.

Remote Retailers to Collect Illinois ROT at Destination Rate, Effective January 1, 2021

A significant change for remote out of state sellers and marketplace facilitators making sales into Illinois is occurring as of January 1, 2021, regarding the collection of sales and use tax, sourcing, and tax rates, and this will impact your…

City of Chicago Announces Economic Nexus Provisions

The City of Chicago has announced in an information bulletin that it will impose economic nexus provisions.

Illinois Makes Changes to Taxation of Wine Sales by Remote Sellers

Illinois has enacted changes to the taxation of wine sales to Illinois purchasers by certain winery shipper’s license holders.

Sales Tax Nuances of Trade Show Attendance

Trade show attendance in another state can create physical nexus and trigger sales tax obligations. Learn key nuances of trade show rules across the states.

Illinois Enacts Marketplace Nexus Legislation

Illinois has enacted legislation under the Use Tax and Service Use Tax Acts including marketplace nexus provisions.

Illinois Re-Enacts the Repealed Click-Through and Affiliate Nexus Provisions

Illinois has enacted legislation that re-enacts the repealed click-through nexus and affiliate nexus provisions, effective January 1, 2020.

October 1, 2018 Remote Seller Deadline for Multiple States

The October 1, 2018 remote seller compliance deadline is approaching for a number of states. Click on the links below for our previous news items with more details. Alabama Enacts Economic Nexus Provision Illinois Enacts Economic Nexus Legislation Indiana Enacts…

House Introduces Online Sales Simplicity and Small Business Relief Act of 2018

On September 13, 2018, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and additional U.S. House members introduced the Online Sales Simplicity and Small Business Relief Act of 2018.

Remote Seller Resources

Comprehensive list of resources for remote sellers following the South Dakota v. Wayfair Supreme Court decision – including state notices, videos, articles, training opportunities, and more.

U.S. Supreme Court Issues Decision In South Dakota v. Wayfair

On June 21, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in the South Dakota v. Wayfair case, ruling in favor of South Dakota and overturning Quill’s physical presence rule.

Midwest State Tax Updates You May Have Missed

This blog post will explore three recent Midwestern state tax updates that could have a big impact – positive or negative – on your business.

Illinois Enacts Economic Nexus Legislation

Illinois has enacted legislation containing economic nexus provisions, effective October 1, 2018.

South Dakota v. Wayfair Analysis & Predictions: Sales Tax Experts Weigh-In

Sales tax experts lend their insight into and predictions for one of the most important U.S. Supreme Court decisions regarding sales tax in decades, South Dakota v. Wayfair.

Record Number of Sellers Participate in 2017 MTC Amnesty Program

The volume of applicants for the 2017 online marketplace seller tax amnesty program overwhelmed the Multistate Tax Commission.

Nexus of Medical Transcription Service Prompts Discussion of Illinois Sales and Use Tax

An Illinois Department of Revenue general information letter detailed that although a taxpayer’s medical transcription service performed work for customers in Illinois, no tangible personal property was transferred, so no tax was due.

Internet Retailer Not Liable for Use Tax in Illinois

In a class action lawsuit, an Illinois court held that a Nevada-based online retailer did not have substantial nexus with Illinois and was not required to collect Illinois sales tax.

Multistate Tax Commission Announces Tax Amnesty Program for Online Sellers

The MTC organized a tax amnesty program for online sellers, running from August 17 to November 1, 2017. The voluntary disclosure program allowed sellers to start remitting sales tax on future sales without penalty or liability for unpaid, prior accumulated sales tax in 25 participating states.

No Regulation Without Representation Act of 2017 Introduced

Under the proposed House bill, a state may tax or regulate a person’s activity in interstate commerce only when the person is physically present in the state during the period in which the tax or regulation is imposed.