Bloomington, IL Sales Tax Rate: 9.75% Base, 11.75% on Meals

The Bloomington, IL sales tax rate on general merchandise is 9.75% as of 2026. That total combines the 6.25% Illinois state rate, a 2.50% Bloomington home rule tax, and a 1.00% McLean County school facilities tax that took effect July 1, 2025.1Illinois Department of Revenue. Sales Tax Rate Change Summary, Effective July 1, 2025 What you actually pay at the register depends on what’s in your cart, because groceries, medicine, restaurant meals, and vehicles each follow different rules.

What the 9.75% Rate Covers

The full 9.75% applies to most tangible personal property: clothing, electronics, furniture, household goods, office supplies, and similar items you can carry out of the store. Retailers collect it at the register and remit it to the Illinois Department of Revenue, which routes the local shares back to the city and county.

The three pieces behind the total:

On a $1,000 purchase, that works out to $97.50 in tax.

Groceries After the 2026 Repeal

Illinois eliminated its 1% state sales tax on groceries effective January 1, 2026, through Public Act 103-0781. Food purchased for consumption off the premises where it’s sold no longer carries that state charge.4Illinois Department of Revenue. Municipal and County Grocery Occupation Tax Rate

Municipalities and counties can replace that lost revenue by passing their own local grocery tax ordinance.5Illinois Department of Revenue. Grocery Tax Repeal – Key Information for Local Governments Whether Bloomington has done so determines what you actually pay on a trip to the supermarket. Check the Illinois Department of Revenue’s Tax Rate Finder or the city’s finance department for the current local grocery figure before relying on a zero rate.

Candy, Soft Drinks, and Prepared Food Don’t Qualify

The grocery category is narrower than it sounds. Illinois excludes candy, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, and food prepared for immediate consumption from the grocery definition, so those items stay at the full 9.75% general merchandise rate.6Illinois Department of Revenue. Tax Rate Information for Retail Sales of Food and Medicine (PIO-115) A single checkout can include tax-free bread and produce alongside a soda taxed at 9.75%.

Prescription Drugs and Medical Appliances

Prescription and non-prescription medicines, insulin syringes, corrective lenses, prosthetic devices, dentures, and similar medical appliances are taxed at a reduced state rate of 1%.7Illinois Department of Revenue. Tax Rate Information for Retail Sales of Food and Medicine (PIO-115) This reduced rate was not affected by the 2026 grocery repeal and continues to apply.

Restaurant Meals: 11.75% Combined

Eating out in Bloomington carries an extra 2% food and beverage tax on top of the standard sales tax. The combined burden on a restaurant check comes to 11.75%.8City of Bloomington, Illinois. Food and Beverage Tax

The 2% applies to prepared food and alcoholic drinks served by restaurants, bars, caterers, and concession stands. It covers dine-in meals, takeout, delivery orders, and catering alike.9City of Bloomington, IL. City of Bloomington Code 39-1602 – Imposition of Tax Packaged alcohol you buy at a liquor store for off-premises consumption is not subject to this surcharge, though it still carries the 9.75% general rate. Businesses typically pass the 2% through to customers on the receipt, but the legal obligation to collect and remit sits with the business owner.8City of Bloomington, Illinois. Food and Beverage Tax

Vehicles and Other Titled Property

Cars, boats, ATVs, aircraft, trailers, and mobile homes don’t follow the 9.75% retail rate. Illinois treats them as titled property with a separate tax system.10Illinois Department of Revenue. Sales and Use Taxes

Dealer purchases are handled by the dealer, who files the transaction and collects the applicable state and local tax at closing. Private-party sales use a flat-fee schedule based on purchase price and model year rather than a percentage. The 2026 chart runs from roughly $100 to $465 for vehicles under $15,000 and into brackets from $850 to over $10,000 for vehicles at $15,000 or more, with motorcycles and ATVs at a flat $25.11Illinois Department of Revenue. RUT-5, Private Party Vehicle Use Tax Chart for 2026 Bloomington adds a 0.75% local use tax on titled property sold to residents, applied on top of the state figure.

Quick Reference by Category

  • General merchandise: 9.75%
  • Groceries (off-premises food): 0% state as of 2026; verify any local grocery tax
  • Candy, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages: 9.75%
  • Prescription drugs and medical appliances: 1% state rate plus local
  • Restaurant meals and bar drinks: 11.75% combined
  • Vehicles from a dealer: state and local rates applied at point of sale
  • Vehicles from a private party: flat fee per the RUT-5 chart

For an unusual purchase or a current grocery figure, the Illinois Department of Revenue’s Tax Rate Finder returns the exact rate by address.