Illinois has the 8th Highest Sales Taxes on Presents
Merry Christmas... If you did all your Christmas shopping in Illinois this year, you paid more than almost anywhere else in the country in taxes. Let us take a look at the nauseating numbers...
According to illinoispolicy.org...
"Illinois holiday shoppers will pay an average 8.81% in combined sales taxes on presents this giving season, the most in the Midwest and eighth most nationwide."
What is even more alarming is that the majority of the population of the start of Illinois lives in Chicagoland, and on the site they say...
"Sales taxes will cost Chicagoans even more. Shopping in Illinois’ largest city will add 10.25% in combined sales taxes to the price of each gift."
Brutal.
When you think about these numbers you can't help but also think about the fact that according to census data (click here!!!) Illinois lost over 100,000 people last year. So we are taxing our remaining citizens higher and higher to try to make up for the money we are losing to people who are leaving the state. Seems like an endless circle of taxing and losing people we are stuck in here in the Land of Lincoln.
What can we do about this? Well, illinoispolicy.org has their solution, in their article they say...
"Constitutional pension reform, alongside a more balanced tax system, would provide Illinoisans with necessary financial relief and put more money back into their pockets for the next holiday."
Will that work? I have no idea, I am not an economist or a political expert, but you don't have to be an expert to know that higher taxes and brutally cold winters don't make for a winning formula if you are trying to grow your state.
