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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1/1/2015 – repealed effective 6/28/2019 – re-enacted effective 1/1/2020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7/1/2011 – repealed effective 6/28/2019 – re-enacted effective 1/1/2020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.

Illinois Provides Updated Guidance on Nonresident Purchaser Exemption for Motor Vehicles and Trailers

Illinois provided guidance on whether non-residents may claim an out-of-state purchaser exemption from sales tax when purchasing a motor vehicle or trailer in Illinois that will be titled in another state.

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.

Illinois Provides Information Bulletin Regarding New Payment Equals Agreement Statute

The Illinois Department of Revenue has released helpful guidance on legislation already enacted that alters how payments for sales, use, and excise taxes and fees are understood.

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.

Illinois Provides Tax Exemption for Aircraft Parts

On June 7, 2023, Governor J.B Pritzker signed S.B. 1963, which amended Article 5 of the Use Tax Code to provide exemptions for aircraft parts.

Illinois DOR Rules Company’s Freezing & Cooling Machinery is Exempt

In a private letter ruling issued on June 2, 2023, the Illinois Department of Revenue ruled that an Illinois company’s machinery was exempt from sales tax due to its role in preserving and maintaining food to be sold.

Illinois Enacts Exemption for Federal Government for Property Sold to Active-Duty Armed Forces Members

Illinois has enacted a new exemption for tangible personal property that is sold to active-duty members of the Armed Forces. The exemption will go into effect on January 1, 2024.

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.

Federal Statute Prevents Chicago Imposing Amusement Tax

The Illinois Appellate Court determined that Wendella Sightseeing, Inc. was not liable for the City of Chicago’s amusement tax due to a federal statute.

Illinois Issued a Letter Discussing Taxability of Various Digital Goods

The Illinois Department of Revenue issued a general information letter encompassing the applicability of sales and use tax to the sales of various digital goods by a digital goods distributor (taxpayer).

Illinois Amends Administrative Code to Address Specifics of Leveling the Playfield for Out of State Sellers

Effective January 23rd, the Illinois Department of Revenue adopted amendments to their use tax rules to provide guidance in line with the state\’s Leveling the Playing Field for Illinois Retail Act, which originally came into effect on January 1, 2021.

Illinois Issues Guidance on Taxability of Sporting Event Ticket Sales

The Illinois Department of Revenue (DOR) issued a General Information Letter (GIL) providing guidance on the taxability of sporting event ticket sales.

Illinois Releases Answers to 2022 Sales and Use Tax Issues Survey

In response to a request from a state tax reference book, Illinois has published a General Information Letter addressing issues surrounding the state\’s nexus standards and other laws and procedures.

Challenge to Chicago’s streaming tax settled between the city and Apple

Apple and Chicago agreed to settle a lawsuit claiming the city’s 9% streaming tax was unconstitutional.

Illinois Makes Cuts to Grocery and Gas Taxes

Illinois’ legislative session is resulting in tax cuts across grocery and fuel taxes.

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.

Illinois Clarifies Taxation of Software as a Service

The Illinois Department of Revenue has issued a private letter ruling regarding the taxation of software as a service and cloud-based remote work tools.

Bundled Hardware and Software Subscription Subject to Service Occupation Tax in Illinois

The Illinois Department of Revenue ruled that a taxpayer providing software subscriptions and hardware for a bundled price is subject to the Service Occupation Tax, but not Retailers’ Occupation Tax, Use Tax, or Service Use Tax.

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.

Marketplace Sellers Can Claim Sales Tax Credits Under Illinois Law

Certain marketplace facilitators can claim credits for retailers’ occupation tax paid on 2020 sales for which use tax was also remitted by a marketplace facilitator.

Illinois Removes Trade In Value from Selling Price Definition

As of 2022, the full value of trade-ins will be excluded from the definition of sales price.

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.

Rental Cars Used in Chicago – A Personal Property Lease Transaction Tax Saga

The Illinois Supreme Court held that the City of Chicago’s ruling to require rental car companies located within three miles of the City to collect tax is unconstitutional under the home rule article of the Illinois Constitution.

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…