Municipalities in the Metro East have seen increases, or in some cases windfalls, of sales tax revenue in the first six months of 2025 compared to the first half of 2024 — which some experts and city officials believe could partially be attributed to Illinois starting to tax online sales.

At the start of the year, the state began taxing online retail sales when a product is shipped in from out of state. The result: extra tax revenue for local towns and counties over the first six months of 2025, according to state data compiled by the Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois .

“It’s a good change from a local government (perspective), as it’s generating additional local revenue,” said Maurice Scholten, the nonpartisan advocacy group’s president. “It does add an additional layer of compl

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