Wondering just how much you and your neighbors will save at the grocery store once the statewide grocery tax ends? A new report from the Illinois Policy Institute suggests Carmi shoppers would save about $127,303 if local government doesn’t institute their own stop gap.
The grocery tax is set to end on January 1, 2026. That dollar amount is based on the 2023 calendar year tax revenue for local governments from the grocery tax and according to the Illinois Department of Revenue. Local government will be the ones to miss out on that money while you save on the 1% grocery tax repeal. A low budget meal plan grocery budget defined by the USDA in January 2020 would have cost $858 a month. Inflation by May of this year has boosted that number to $1,064.
In Fairfield, residents would save an estimated $102,396 while the government lost out. In McLeansboro, the number is higher than both neighboring cities at $143,933. In Eldorado, the number is more than $153,000 and in Harrisburg, government there would need to adjust their budget by almost $400,000. Even Grayville will lose more than $45,000.
Cities will have to decide if they want to implement their own grocery tax or risk shoppers driving across to Indiana or to the nearest town where they could dodge the grocery tax.
George Washington
October 3, 2024 at 12:05 pmLOL yeah right! just wait and see they will come up with some other B.S. tax or just increase another. Taxation is theft. Imagine how good things would be if everyone kept their hands out of your pocket.
Leonard Raven
October 4, 2024 at 7:49 amvery unlikely that people would drive further to save the 1% grocery tax with the current price of gas
William Henry Harrison
October 4, 2024 at 9:40 amMaybe you don’t drive considering the price of gas. But if you go to Princeton or Evansville gas is typically cheaper there. I know plenty of people in my community that make a quick drive into Indiana get groceries AND fill the tank up before coming home. Illinois is a disgrace if a state. Oh yeah and by the way next time you are in Indiana take a look at the roads, properties, and schools. All of their things like nice, you cross back over into Illinois and it looks like a 3rd world country. WE THE PEOPLE ARE TAXED TO DEATH IN ILLINOIS!!!
John Edwards
October 6, 2024 at 7:45 pmWe have better roads than Indiana. Teachers are paid better in Illinois. The question is why can’t you deal with paying your share?
William Henry Harrison
October 7, 2024 at 3:49 pmWell thank you for asking. First I want to say John Edwards had a bad haircut. Second I want to answer your question. Let’s start with, I have a grandfather living in Gibson County Indiana. His house is taxed at the value of $250,000 and he pays $1100 in property taxes a year. My parents have a house in Edwards county Illinois. Its value is a**essed at $75,000 and they pay right at $2000 per year property taxes. So I’ll make this a simple comparison, triple the value and half the property taxes. Let’s continue to compare, Indiana gas tax 18.9 cents a gallon-Illinois gas tax 47 cents per gallon. Tobacco in Illinois is at $2.98/20 packs and Indiana is at 99cents/20 packs. Illinois income tax is at a whopping 4.95% while Indiana stands at 3.05%, almost 2 percent less…To get a vehicle registration sticker in Illinois it costs $151 flat fee, Indiana differs on year, make, and model but minimum your gonna save is $50-60 and if you have an older car you will pay about $70 or less. Think 2005 or older vehicle. Indiana doesn’t have a grocery tax and food items are exempt from sales tax, Illinois meanwhile has been taxing us to buy food. I could go on and on but really maybe you should get out and talk to people on the other side of the river. Their schools are way ahead of ours, Gibson County High Schools have our school districts beat by a long shot: All of our tax money is going to crooked politicians and a Tyrannical government. I’m sure our tax dollars also helped fund those free abortions and vasectomies they handed out at the DNC in Chicago earlier this year too! I look at my property tax bill and I know how much is going to the schools. Where’s all our tax money going? Indiana doesn’t even have marijuana tax and the roads,schools, and properties are still better. So yes I do have a problem paying my share because it’s not right! It is too much and I agree with my Friend George Washington, taxation is theft. Especially when my tax dollars are going to a corrupt government. Income tax and property tax should be abolished. Go to Vincennes sometime and look how nice of a town it is. It’s great! Go drive through Carmi or Mt. Carmel or any other place over here and it looks like a dump. And I wouldn’t drive out of town for $23 of groceries either. My point is that working people, like myself, are over taxed. And where I’m from so talk to people from all walks of life. I’m not the only one thinking this or saying this.
sue
October 6, 2024 at 8:56 pmus poor folks can’t afford to go out of town shopping, some doesn’t have a decent vehicle and most who has to go out of town to Drs. takes the rides bus on their schedule… So, getting $ 23.00 in food stamps would be a waste of a trip just to go out of town shopping for bologna and bread to last a month, the state needs to raise the food stamps for us poor disabled folks and veterans to survive their cost of living…Illinois s***s cause government doesn’t care ..I was born and raised in Illinois but shamed of the government.
sue
October 4, 2024 at 3:49 pmit’s very ,very hard to eat on$ 23.00 food stamps a month and local food banks usually gives out bad and outdated stuff
John Edward’s is a moron
October 8, 2024 at 11:35 amDear John Edward you sound just like a typical Democrat. Your head is stuck directly up your own ACE! WH Harrison is right.