The sales tax rate in Addison, Illinois is 8.75% on general merchandise as of July 1, 2025.1Illinois Department of Revenue. Sales Tax Rate Change Summary, Effective July 1, 2025 That is what you pay on most tangible goods ringing up at the register, from clothing to electronics to furniture. Groceries, medicine, vehicles, and cannabis each follow their own rules and come out to something different.
What Makes Up the 8.75%
Three taxing bodies share the single sales tax line on your receipt:
- State of Illinois: 6.25%, the baseline retailers’ occupation tax that applies to all retail sales of tangible personal property statewide.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 35 ILCS 120/2-10 – Rate of Tax
- Regional Transportation Authority: 0.75%, which DuPage County pays into as part of the RTA’s suburban collar-county zone funding Metra, Pace, and other transit.3DuPage Co, IL. Sales Taxes
- Village of Addison home rule tax: 1.75%, set locally. This piece went up by 0.25% on July 1, 2025.1Illinois Department of Revenue. Sales Tax Rate Change Summary, Effective July 1, 2025
Illinois law lets home rule municipalities set their own retail sales tax in quarter-percent increments with no cap.4Illinois Department of Revenue. Local Governments Guide to Tax Allocations – Home Rule Sales Taxes The receipt shows a single number, but the revenue splits three ways.
Groceries After January 1, 2026
Illinois eliminated its 1% state sales tax on qualifying groceries starting January 1, 2026. Food for human consumption bought to eat off-premises is now exempt from the state portion.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 35 ILCS 120/2-10 – Rate of Tax
That does not mean groceries are tax-free. The law allows municipalities and counties to impose their own grocery tax of up to 1% by local ordinance, and the RTA’s 0.75% sales tax on grocery purchases is still in effect within the RTA service area.5Illinois Department of Revenue. Illinois Grocery Tax Changes Effective January 1, 2026 So Addison shoppers no longer pay the 6.25% state rate on qualifying food, but local tax lines still appear on the receipt.
Soft Drinks, Candy, and Prepared Food
Not everything in a grocery store counts as a grocery. Soft drinks and candy are taxed at the full general merchandise rate wherever they are sold.6Illinois General Assembly. Section 130.310 Food, Soft Drinks and Candy A soda from a gas station and a bag of candy from Jewel both ring up at Addison’s 8.75% rate.
Prepared food follows the same rule. Restaurant meals, takeout, hot deli items, and anything sold for immediate consumption are taxed at the general merchandise rate.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 35 ILCS 120/2-10 – Rate of Tax At a store like Mariano’s, the rotisserie chicken and the packaged chicken breasts leave the register at different rates.
Prescriptions and Medical Supplies
Prescription and nonprescription medicines, medical appliances, insulin, syringes, and blood sugar testing supplies are taxed at a 1% state rate.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 35 ILCS 120/2-10 – Rate of Tax State law excludes these items from home rule municipal taxation, so Addison’s 1.75% is not added on top.7Justia. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5 Article 8 – Finance Pharmacy purchases carry far less tax than general merchandise.
Cars, Motorcycles, Trailers, and Other Titled Property
Vehicles are not taxed at 8.75%. Home rule municipal sales taxes cannot apply to property that must be titled or registered with a state agency, so Addison’s 1.75% home rule tax drops off entirely.7Justia. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5 Article 8 – Finance
Buying From a Dealer
A dealership collects the 6.25% state rate plus any applicable RTA or county fees, and reports the transaction on Form ST-556, the Sales Tax Transaction Return.8Illinois Department of Revenue. ST-556 Sales Tax Transaction Return Instructions Filing late can trigger penalties and hold up your title application.9Illinois Department of Revenue. Illinois Tax Requirements for Cars, Trucks, Vans, Motorcycles, ATVs, Trailers, and Mobile Homes
Buying From a Private Party
Private party vehicle purchases use a flat-dollar tax schedule rather than a percentage, reported on Form RUT-50.10Illinois Department of Revenue. RUT-50 Instructions for Private Party Vehicle Use Tax For vehicles valued under $15,000, the tax ranges from $100 for one 11 years old or older up to $465 for a vehicle a year old or newer. For vehicles valued at $15,000 or more, brackets start at $850 for the $15,000–$19,999 range and climb to $10,100 for vehicles worth $1 million or more. Motorcycles and ATVs carry a flat $25 tax, and transfers between immediate family members qualify for a reduced $15 tax.11Illinois Department of Revenue. Private Party Vehicle Use Tax Chart for 2026
Cannabis
Recreational cannabis carries some of the heaviest tax stacking in Illinois. On top of the 6.25% state sales tax and applicable local taxes, a separate state excise tax scales with THC potency:12Illinois Department of Revenue. Cannabis Taxes
- 10% on flower and other products with THC at or below 35%
- 20% on cannabis-infused products such as edibles
- 25% on any product with THC above 35%, which covers most concentrates
Municipalities can add their own cannabis tax of up to 3%, and counties can add up to 3% within incorporated areas.13Illinois Department of Revenue. Municipal and County Cannabis Retailers Occupation Tax Rate Changes These local cannabis taxes sit on top of, not inside, the regular home rule sales tax. Medical cannabis is exempt from the local cannabis taxes but still carries the standard state sales tax. The combined load on a recreational purchase can easily exceed 30% of the sticker price.
Online and Out-of-State Purchases
When you buy from an out-of-state seller that does not collect Illinois tax, you still owe use tax at the same rates: 6.25% on general merchandise and 1% on qualifying medicines and medical supplies.14Illinois Department of Revenue. Use Tax for Individuals – Questions and Answers Most large online retailers now collect automatically, but smaller sellers and private cross-border transactions can leave the obligation on you.
If your total use tax for the year is $600 or less, you can report and pay it on your Illinois individual income tax return (Form IL-1040) by April 15 of the following year. If you owe more than $600, you file Form ST-44 by the last day of the month after each purchase.14Illinois Department of Revenue. Use Tax for Individuals – Questions and Answers The state can assess use tax with penalties and interest on audit.