Every purchase at a Naperville store costs a little more as of Saturday, Aug. 1.
The Northern Illinois Transit Authority raised its occupation and use tax by 0.25 percentage points across DuPage and Will counties, bumping the NITA rate from 0.75% to 1.00% on general merchandise, groceries, drugs and medical appliances, titled items like vehicles, cannabis and aviation fuel. The increase applies to all six counties formerly served by the Regional Transportation Authority: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will.
For a Naperville merchant on Washington Street or along the Route 59 corridor, the math is straightforward: the NITA levy stacks on top of the 6.25% state rate for general merchandise (or 1.00% for qualifying groceries and drugs) plus existing local taxes collected by the Illinois Department of Revenue. Shoppers will see the difference on receipts; business owners must collect it.
What the money funds
The 0.25-percentage-point hike is projected to raise roughly $200 million in 2026 and $553 million in 2027 for the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace, according to the Illinois Policy Institute. The transit reform bill, signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in December, was crafted to prevent service cuts and fare hikes as federal pandemic relief money ran out. NITA formally replaces the RTA on Sept. 1.
The legislation also funds Metra service additions on the Rock Island line and weekday trains on the Metra Electric line, according to the Illinois Policy Institute. Pace is set to increase suburban bus frequency and extend hours on high-demand routes.
What business owners need to do
The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce urged members to update cash registers and point-of-sale software immediately. Businesses using automated tax-preparation tools should check with their vendors for updates, the Chamber said in a government affairs bulletin published Thursday, Aug. 6. Owners can verify their updated combined rate at the MyTax Illinois Tax Rate Finder (mytax.illinois.gov) by selecting rates for August 2026.
The Illinois Department of Revenue published its formal bulletin, FY 2026-34, on June 29, giving merchants roughly one month's notice before the effective date.
How to get answers
The Chamber's "Coffee & Conversations: Inside City Leadership" series gives business owners direct access to council members in small-group settings. Upcoming sessions:
- Monday, Aug. 10, 9–10:15 a.m. — Council members Benny White and Mary Gibson
- Monday, Aug. 17, 9–10:15 a.m. — Council members Pat Kelly and Nate Wilson
- Monday, Aug. 31, 9–10:15 a.m. — Council members Josh McBroom and Supna Jain
- Monday, Sept. 21, 9–10:15 a.m. — Mayor Scott Wehrli and City Manager Doug Krieger
The Chamber's "End of Session Wrap-up" on Tuesday, Aug. 18, from 3–5 p.m. at the NACC offices will feature local elected officials discussing the spring legislative session that produced the transit tax.
