The sales tax rate in Aurora, Illinois is 8.25% on general merchandise as of August 1, 2026. That rate combines state, city, and regional transit taxes, and it applies across Aurora’s city limits regardless of which of the four counties your address sits in. Grocery items, medicine, prepared food, and vehicles each follow their own rules, and the rate at a specific storefront can run slightly higher once county-level taxes get added in.
What Makes Up the 8.25%
Three taxes stack to produce the combined rate:
- State retailers’ occupation tax of 6.25%, uniform across Illinois.1Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 35 ILCS 120/2-13 – Remote Retailer Amnesty Program
- Aurora’s home rule municipal tax of 1.25%, the same at every Aurora address.
- Regional Transportation Authority tax of 0.75%, which rose from 0.50% on August 1, 2026.2Illinois Department of Revenue. Mass Transit District Sales Tax
The RTA increase came from the Northeastern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act, which required the RTA Board to raise the regional sales tax by a quarter point across the six-county RTA region. Aurora’s combined rate was 8.00% through July 31, 2026, and 8.25% from August 1 forward.3Regional Transportation Authority. NITA Act Advances to Next Phase If you’re looking back at a receipt or reconciling records, the split date tells you which rate should apply.4Regional Transportation Authority. Key Dates and Deadlines as RTA Transitions to NITA in 2026
Why Your Aurora Address Can Change the Rate
Aurora spans parts of Kane, DuPage, Kendall, and Will counties. The state, city, and RTA pieces are identical everywhere in the city, so the only variable is county tax. DuPage County, for example, adds its own 0.25% countywide sales tax on general merchandise.5DuPage County. Sales Taxes A store in the DuPage portion of Aurora could ring up 8.50% while another store a few blocks away in the Kane portion rings up 8.25%.
The differences are small per transaction, but they’re real. For an exact rate at a specific address, the Illinois Department of Revenue’s Tax Rate Finder through MyTax Illinois returns the full breakdown.6Illinois Department of Revenue. Tax Rate Database
Groceries Changed On January 1, 2026
Illinois eliminated its longstanding 1% state sales tax on groceries, effective January 1, 2026. The same law let municipalities and counties impose their own local grocery tax at exactly 1% by ordinance.7Illinois Department of Revenue. FY 2026-11, Municipal and County Grocery Occupation Tax Rate Changes The RTA tax on groceries stays in effect either way.2Illinois Department of Revenue. Mass Transit District Sales Tax
So the rate you pay on qualifying groceries in Aurora depends on whether the city adopted the local 1% ordinance. Without it, groceries carry only the 0.75% RTA portion. With it, groceries run about 1.75%. The Tax Rate Finder or the city’s own revenue office will confirm which applies.
Qualifying groceries means food meant for home preparation. Hot food, candy, soft drinks, alcohol, and food prepared for immediate consumption all get taxed at the full general merchandise rate.8Legal Information Institute. Illinois Admin Code tit 86, 140.126 – Taxation of Food, Drugs and Medical Appliances
Medicine and Medical Supplies
Prescription and nonprescription medicines, insulin, syringes, blood sugar testing supplies, and certain medical devices are taxed at a reduced state rate of 1% instead of 6.25%.8Legal Information Institute. Illinois Admin Code tit 86, 140.126 – Taxation of Food, Drugs and Medical Appliances The RTA tax still applies on top, so a qualifying medical item in Aurora runs about 1.75% total.
Cosmetics, general supplements, and wellness products that don’t meet the statutory definition of medicine or medical appliances don’t qualify. Those get taxed as general merchandise at the full combined rate.
Prepared Food and Drinks Carry an Extra Tax
Aurora imposes a separate food and beverage tax on prepared food and liquor sales, stacked on top of the regular sales tax. Any retailer selling prepared food or drinks (other than items in sealed containers), or selling packaged or served liquor, must register with the city as a food and beverage tax collector.9City of Aurora. Food and Beverage Tax
Dining out or ordering a drink in Aurora therefore costs more in tax than buying a general-merchandise item at the same combined rate.
Vehicles Are Taxed Differently
Buying a car in Aurora doesn’t follow the same system as buying a shirt. If you’re buying from a dealer, the 6.25% state rate plus applicable local taxes gets collected by the dealership. If you’re buying from a private party, Illinois uses a flat tax schedule based on the vehicle’s purchase price and model year, paid when you register with the Secretary of State.10Illinois Department of Revenue. RUT-5, Private Party Vehicle Use Tax Chart for 2026
Private party flat tax ranges from $100 for older vehicles valued under $15,000 up to $10,100 for vehicles priced at $1 million or more. Motorcycles and ATVs are taxed at a flat $25. Transfers between spouses, parents, siblings, or children qualify for a reduced $15 flat rate; step-relations, in-laws, and grandparent-grandchild transfers don’t.10Illinois Department of Revenue. RUT-5, Private Party Vehicle Use Tax Chart for 2026
Online and Out-of-State Purchases
If you buy from an out-of-state seller that doesn’t charge Illinois sales tax, or charges less than the Illinois rate, you owe use tax directly to the state. The rate mirrors the sales tax: 6.25% on general merchandise and 1% on qualifying food, drugs, and medical appliances.11Illinois Department of Revenue. Use Tax for Individuals – Questions and Answers
How you report depends on how much you owe. If your use tax for the year totals $600 or less, you can report it on your Form IL-1040 or file Form ST-44 by April 15. If it exceeds $600, you file Form ST-44 and pay by the last day of the month following each purchase.11Illinois Department of Revenue. Use Tax for Individuals – Questions and Answers Large marketplace platforms already collect and remit Illinois tax, so this mostly affects purchases from smaller online sellers.
Verify Your Rate by Address
Illinois sales tax rates typically change on January 1 or July 1, and 2026 showed that legislative changes can move rates at other times too. Given Aurora’s four-county geography and the August 1 RTA shift, the Tax Rate Finder on MyTax Illinois is the reliable way to confirm the exact combined rate for any specific street address, including every state, municipal, county, and RTA component that applies there.6Illinois Department of Revenue. Tax Rate Database