The sales tax in Schaumburg, IL is 10% on general merchandise. That rate combines four separate taxes: Illinois state tax, Cook County tax, a Regional Transportation Authority tax, and Schaumburg’s own home rule tax. Groceries, medicine, vehicles, and restaurant meals each follow different rules, and the grocery rules changed on January 1, 2026.1Village of Schaumburg. Taxes and Fees
What Makes Up the 10% Rate
Four taxing authorities stack their rates on every general merchandise sale in the village:
- Illinois state tax: 6.25%, the base rate on retail sales of tangible personal property statewide.2Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 120/2-10 – Rate of Tax
- Cook County home rule tax: 1.75%. Schaumburg sits entirely within Cook County.
- Regional Transportation Authority tax: 1.00%, funding CTA, Metra, and Pace.3Illinois Department of Revenue. Mass Transit District Sales Tax
- Schaumburg home rule tax: 1.00%, collected by the state and remitted to the village.1Village of Schaumburg. Taxes and Fees
Clothing, electronics, furniture, household goods, and most other tangible retail purchases carry the full 10% at the register.
Groceries, Medicine, and Medical Supplies
Illinois has long taxed qualifying groceries, prescription and nonprescription drugs, and medical appliances at a reduced state rate of 1% instead of 6.25%. On January 1, 2026, the state eliminated its 1% grocery tax entirely. The state grocery rate is now zero.4Illinois Department of Revenue. Illinois Grocery Tax Changes Effective January 1, 2026
Groceries in Schaumburg are not automatically tax-free, though. The same law lets municipalities and counties adopt a replacement local grocery tax of exactly 1% by ordinance, and the RTA transit tax on qualifying food stays in place.4Illinois Department of Revenue. Illinois Grocery Tax Changes Effective January 1, 20263Illinois Department of Revenue. Mass Transit District Sales Tax Schaumburg’s 1% home rule tax does not apply to groceries in any case.1Village of Schaumburg. Taxes and Fees Check the receipt for the current total.
Qualifying groceries means food for consumption off the premises, like what you buy at a supermarket. Alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, candy, and food prepared for immediate consumption do not qualify and are taxed at the full 10%.5Legal Information Institute. Illinois Administrative Code Title 86, Section 140.126 – Taxation of Food, Drugs and Medical Appliances
Prescription and nonprescription medicines, medical appliances, insulin, blood sugar testing materials, and diabetic syringes still carry the 1% state rate.5Legal Information Institute. Illinois Administrative Code Title 86, Section 140.126 – Taxation of Food, Drugs and Medical Appliances Local transit tax may apply, but the village home rule tax does not touch drugs.1Village of Schaumburg. Taxes and Fees
Restaurant Meals and Drinks
Eating out in Schaumburg costs more than the 10% sales tax. The village imposes an additional 2% food and beverage tax on prepared food, drinks, and alcoholic beverages sold at restaurants, bars, and similar retail food or liquor facilities within village limits.1Village of Schaumburg. Taxes and Fees That brings the effective tax on a restaurant tab to 12%. Businesses remit this tax directly to the village rather than through the Illinois Department of Revenue. It is authorized under Title 3, Chapter 36 of the Village Code.
Buying a Vehicle
Vehicles are taxed differently from general retail goods. Schaumburg’s 1% home rule tax does not apply to licensed vehicles, so a car bought from a Schaumburg dealership does not carry the village portion of the rate.1Village of Schaumburg. Taxes and Fees
Dealers report every sale on Form ST-556, whether or not tax is due.6Illinois Department of Revenue. ST-556 Sales Tax Transaction Return Instructions A private-party purchase, where you buy a car directly from another person, is different again. It uses a flat-fee schedule based on the vehicle’s purchase price and model year, reported on Form RUT-25 or RUT-50.
Online and Out-of-State Purchases
Buying from a seller who does not collect Illinois sales tax does not make the purchase tax-free. You owe Illinois use tax at rates that mirror the sales tax: 6.25% on general merchandise and 1% on qualifying food, drugs, and medical appliances. If you paid another state’s sales tax at a rate lower than Illinois’s, you owe Illinois the difference.7Illinois Department of Revenue. Use Tax Rates
Most large online retailers now collect Illinois sales tax automatically. Smaller online sellers, trade-show purchases, and out-of-state suppliers may not, and the use tax obligation falls on the buyer in those cases.
If You’re the Retailer
Businesses selling in Schaumburg report sales tax on Form ST-1 through MyTax Illinois. The form separates general merchandise sales from lower-taxed food and medical items because the rates differ.8Illinois Department of Revenue. ST-1 Sales and Use Tax and E911 Surcharge Return Returns are generally due by the 20th of the month after the reporting period, with monthly, quarterly, or annual frequency assigned based on tax liability. Retailers averaging $20,000 or more in monthly liability must make accelerated payments four times a month, usually by electronic funds transfer.9Illinois Department of Revenue. Sales and Use Taxes
Filing and paying on time earns a vendor’s discount of 1.75% of the tax owed, capped at $1,000 per month in aggregate for returns due on or after January 1, 2025.10Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 120/3 Late filing or payment forfeits the discount and triggers penalties starting at 2% of the unpaid tax and rising to 10% after 30 days, with steeper rates once an audit begins. Interest accrues daily.11Illinois Department of Revenue. Pub-103, Penalties and Interest for Illinois Taxes Sales tax collected from customers belongs to the state from the moment it changes hands, so falling behind on remittance is expensive fast.