This blog was last updated on January 16, 2026
Illinois imposes a statewide sales and use tax rate of 6.25%. The state does allow local jurisdictions to levy additional sales taxes; cities, counties, and special districts in Illinois can impose their own sales tax in addition to the state tax rate. The following are examples of special local taxes in Illinois, in addition to standard state and local taxes:
- Chicago Amusement Tax
- Chicago Personal Property Lease Transaction Tax
- Cook County Amusement Tax
- West Dundee Food and Beverage Tax
What’s Taxable in Illinois?
Illinois sales and use tax applies to the sale and lease of tangible personal property and certain enumerated services. Sellers selling taxable goods and/or services are required to collect and remit sales tax to the state.
Examples of taxable items and services include:
- Clothing
- Prepared food, alcohol, candy, soft drinks
- Food for home consumption
- Prescription and nonprescription drugs or medicines
- Prewritten computer software
- Telecommunication services
Sales Tax Nexus in Illinois
A seller is liable to collect and remit Illinois sales tax if they meet the state’s nexus requirements. Nexus can be established through either physical or economic presence.
Illinois: Physical Nexus
Physical presence is created by having a business location, office, warehouse, vehicle, employee, or other representative operating in the state of Illinois
Illinois: Economic Nexus
Illinois enforces economic nexus for remote sellers. If your business has:
- Over $100,000 sales in Illinois during the previous calendar year;
you may be required to register for and collect Illinois sales tax.
Learn more on the Out-of-State Retailer Maintaining a Place of Business in Illinois Registration Flowchart.
Illinois Sales Tax Exemptions
Certain sales in Illinois are considered generally exempt from the sales and use tax requirements.
Exempt Products and Services
- Most services
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- Agricultural items
- Digital goods
Entity or Use Based Exemptions
Additionally, Illinois exempts sales to certain entities from the sales/use tax, including the following:
- Certain qualified nonprofit entities
- 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations
- Churches and houses of religious worship
- Nonprofit schools, hospitals and homes for children and aged persons
- Certain wholesalers
- Retailers selling for resale
- Industrial processors
- Schools
- Government
How to Claim Sales Tax Exemption in Illinois
To claim an exemption, an entity must provide an exemption certificate with the sale. The Treasury accepts: STAX-1 Registration as the most commonly used form
Additional guidance on acceptable exemption formats can be found in Tax exempt organizations.
Illinois Filing and Remittance Requirements
Illinois offers multiple methods for filing and remitting sales and use tax:
- E-filing through: My Tax Illinois
- Paper filing:
- ST-1
- ST-2
- ST-44 (use tax)
Electronic payments are required if your annual tax liability meets or exceeds $20,000 for Retailer’s Occupation and Use Tax
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Illinois have sales tax holidays?
No, Illinois does not currently offer sales tax holidays.
Are there any special point of sale fees in Illinois?
Point-of-sale fees are fixed amount or rate-based assessments levied on certain products or services at the time of sale and paid by the final consumer at retail. For example, Illinois imposes the following point of sale fees:
E-911 Fee
Tire User Fee
Does Illinois apply sales tax to shipping charges?
Generally, Illinois does not apply sales tax to shipping charges when the charges are separately stated on the contract or invoice.
For sourcing sales tax, is Illinois origin or destination based?
For sellers maintaining physical nexus with Illinois, Illinois generally requires origin sourcing for intrastate transactions and destination sourcing for interstate transactions.
For sellers with only economic nexus with Illinois, destination sourcing applies.
How to Register for a Illinois Sales Tax License?
Illinois businesses or individuals selling tangible personal property or certain services to Illinois consumers may need to register to collect sales tax when meeting qualifying requirements. More information may be found at: Business Registration
Additional Resources
For more information on U.S. sales tax compliance across all 50 states, check out our:
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