It may feel like Illinois, and Chicago in particular, already take a cut of everything and anything that can be taxed – come January, Illinois will even begin to tax rented parking. But in reality, Illinois skips some significant potential sources of tax revenue: There’s no tax on retirement income, for one, and the state taxes only a handful of services (most are utility-related).
Revenue from a statewide broadened sales tax could bring extra money to both the state and to communities around Illinois that are likewise facing monumental pension pressures, particularly as pro-labor Pritzker is steadfast that he will not look to curb government employees’ and retirees’ benefits (the state constitution hamstrings even those who do favor that approach).