Illinois Sales Tax Calculator
No sign-up State + local rates Includes the 2026 grocery change
Add Illinois’s 6.25% state sales tax plus your local rate, or remove tax from a total.
Illinois’s state rate is 6.25% on general merchandise. Local taxes add more, and local rates change on January 1 and July 1. Leave the local rate at 0 to see the state-only figure. Find your exact rate on the Illinois Department of Revenue rate page before you file anything official.
Why an Illinois sales tax calculator needs two settings
A friend who lives in Illinois told me her grocery receipt looked different in early 2026. The state tax line had vanished. A relative in another town still paid a small local grocery tax. Same state, same groceries, different result.
That story explains this page. Illinois changed its grocery rules on January 1, 2026, and local rates still vary a lot. So this Illinois sales tax calculator lets you pick the type of purchase and enter a local rate.
How the Illinois sales tax calculator works
The calculator adds up to two layers:
- State tax: 6.25%. This applies to general merchandise everywhere in Illinois.
- Local tax: your rate. Enter the local rate for the buyer’s location, and the calculator adds it on top.
For groceries, the state tax is now 0%. You can still enter a local grocery rate if your location charges one.
The 2026 grocery change
Illinois used to charge a 1% state tax on groceries. That state tax ended on January 1, 2026. The same law lets cities and counties charge their own grocery tax of up to 1%. So a grocery bill may carry no tax in one town and a 1% local tax in the next. The Illinois Department of Revenue explains the change in its food and medicine publication.
How to use the Illinois sales tax calculator
- Enter your amount.
- Choose “General merchandise” or “Groceries.”
- Look up the buyer’s local rate on the Department of Revenue site, then type it into the local rate box.
- Choose “Add tax” or “Remove tax,” then read the breakdown.
Real example: A $400 purchase at the 6.25% state rate adds $25, for a $425 total. If the buyer’s local rate is 2.75%, the combined rate is 9%. Tax becomes $36, and the total is $436. To work backward, divide $436 by 1.09 to return $400. For $100 of groceries with a 1% local tax and no state tax, the total is $101.
Why local rates matter so much here
Combined rates in Illinois climb above 10% in Chicago. They sit much lower in many smaller towns. The delivery address decides the rate, so always look up the buyer’s exact location rather than guessing from a nearby city.
Selling into Illinois from another state
Out-of-state sellers can owe Illinois sales tax once their sales pass $100,000 in a year. Third-party tax guides report that Illinois dropped its separate 200-transaction test in 2026, but confirm the current rule with the Department of Revenue. Our guide on sales tax nexus explains how these thresholds work.
A mistake to avoid
Do not charge the old 1% state tax on groceries after January 1, 2026. Also do not skip a local grocery tax where one exists. Check the rate for the buyer’s location each time.
For all 50 states, use the USA Sales Tax Calculator. Compare another high-local-tax state on our Washington sales tax calculator page, or see how states differ in the sales tax comparison by state. Curious which states skip the tax? Read states with no sales tax. To avoid repeat errors, browse common sales tax mistakes. Learn why dividing works in reverse tax calculation, or open our guides page.
Also see our Illinois sales tax calculator.