Illinois Tax

Work out the Illinois sales tax on a purchase and the total you will actually pay at the register, using the 6.25% state rate plus the local rate for your county, city or special district.

How the calculation works

Illinois sales tax combines the 6.25% statewide rate with local add-ons from counties, municipalities, home-rule units and special districts such as the Regional Transportation Authority in the Chicago area. The calculator adds the two rates and applies them to the pre-tax amount: tax = amount × (state rate + local rate) ÷ 100.

The local rate defaults to 2.71%, the statewide average local add-on reported by the Tax Foundation as of January 1, 2026, which gives a combined 8.96%. Your actual rate depends on where the sale is sourced: in Chicago the combined rate on most general merchandise is 10.25%, a local portion of 4%. The local field accepts up to 7%.

Results show the tax amount, total due, combined rate and the state and local portions separately. Rates can change — local ones even mid-year — so confirm the current rate for your address with the Illinois Department of Revenue’s Tax Rate Finder.

Worked example

A $100 purchase with the default 6.25% state rate and 2.71% local rate: combined rate 8.96%, tax $8.96, total $108.96 ($6.25 state and $2.71 local). The same purchase in Chicago, with a 4% local rate, costs $10.25 in tax for a total of $110.25.

Things to keep in mind

• The calculator applies the general merchandise rate. Since January 1, 2026, groceries (food for home consumption) are exempt from Illinois’s former 1% state grocery tax, but many municipalities and a few counties have adopted their own 1% local grocery tax. Prescription and nonprescription medicines and medical appliances are taxed at a reduced 1% state rate plus applicable local taxes.
• Sales tax is separate from income tax. Illinois’s individual income tax is a flat 4.95%, which this calculator does not compute.
• Vehicles bought from a private seller are subject to a separate private-party vehicle tax with fixed amounts rather than the regular sales tax.
• Prepared food, soft drinks and candy are taxed at the general rate, and some cities add restaurant or beverage taxes on top.