How does Illinois’s tax code compare? How does Illinois’s tax code compare? Illinois has a flat 4.95 percent individual income tax rate. Illinois has a 9.5 percent corporate income tax rate. Illinois also has a 6.25 percent state sales tax rate and an average combined state and local sales tax rate of 8.86 percent. Illinois has a 1.95 percent effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing value.
Illinois has an estate tax. Illinois also has a 66.5 cents per gallon gas tax rate and a $2.98 cigarette excise tax rate. The State of Illinois collects $7,379 in state and local tax collections per capita. Illinois has $13,094 in state and local debt per capita and has a 51 percent funded ratio of public pension plans. Illinois’s tax system ranks 37th overall on the 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index.
Each state’s tax code is a multifaceted system with many moving parts, and Illinois is no exception. The first step towards understanding Illinois’s tax code is knowing the basics. How does Illinois collect tax revenue? Click the tabs below to learn more! You can also explore our state tax maps, which are compiled from our annual publication, Facts & Figures 2024: How Does Your State Compare?
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The State Tax Competitiveness Index enables policymakers, taxpayers, and business leaders to gauge how their states’ tax systems compare. While there are many ways to show how much state governments collect in taxes, the Index evaluates how well states structure their tax systems and provides a road map for improvement.
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Facts & Figures serves as a one-stop state tax data resource that compares all 50 states on over 40 measures of tax rates, collections, burdens, and more.
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Graduated corporate rates are inequitable—that is, the size of a corporation bears no necessary relation to the income levels of the owners.
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Retail sales taxes are an essential part of most states’ revenue toolkits, responsible for 32 percent of state tax collections and 13 percent of local tax collections (24 percent of combined collections).
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Graduated corporate rates are inequitable—that is, the size of a corporation bears no necessary relation to the income levels of the owners.
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The latest IRS and Census data show that people and businesses favor states with low and structurally sound tax systems, which can impact the state’s economic growth and governmental coffers.
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