Illinois will end its statewide 1% grocery tax on January 1, 2026, though many local municipalities will continue to levy their own taxes. Several new laws will also take effect, including bans on small plastic toiletries in hotels, easier removal of squatters, protections for drinking water sources, safer gear requirements for firefighters, and various measures related to public safety, environmental conservation, and sports funding.
Illinois will end its statewide 1% grocery tax on January 1, but many local municipalities will continue to levy their own taxes. Several new laws will take effect in 2025, including measures to protect aquifers from carbon sequestration, ban single-use toiletries in hotels, improve firefighter safety, and enhance public safety and environmental conservation efforts.
Illinois has enacted nearly 300 new laws starting in 2026, including the elimination of the statewide grocery tax, designating soybeans as the state bean, expanding AI regulation in employment, allowing U.S. flags on courthouses, and increasing transparency in government advertising and college costs, among other measures.
Illinois has eliminated its 1% grocery tax in the newly passed $53.1 billion state budget, aiming to provide financial relief to families amid rising prices. While this move is expected to benefit consumers, it could reduce revenue for local municipalities, which are now allowed to impose their own grocery taxes up to 1%. The budget awaits Governor Pritzker's signature, with some Republicans expressing concerns about future financial stability.
Alabama's law reducing the state tax on groceries from 4% to 3% has gone into effect, providing savings for shoppers. The reduction applies to SNAP-eligible foods, excluding alcohol, tobacco, and hot-prepared foods. Another 1% reduction is planned for next September if the Education Trust Fund budget grows by 3.5%. Lawmakers have formed a task force to study the impact of the tax reduction on the fund. Local cities and counties' food taxes remain in effect but cannot be raised higher than current levels.
Starting July 1, Illinois' 1% grocery tax will be reinstated after being suspended for a year, potentially making groceries more expensive. Additionally, the gas tax in Illinois will increase due to the annual inflation-based adjustment, with the rate for unleaded gasoline reaching 42.4 cents per gallon. The tax increase for fiscal year 2024 will also go into effect, potentially leading to a second fuel tax increase this year.
Alabama state lawmakers have passed a bill to cut grocery tax from 4% to 3%, effective from September 1. The full sales tax rates for cities and counties and special taxing districts remain and are not cut as part of this legislation. The typical Alabama family will save $150 per year in groceries under the 1 percentage point reduction in the sales tax. The legislation uses the same definition of food as the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Prepared foods often found in the deli of a grocery store like rotisserie chicken, salads and sandwiches, beer, wine and other adult beverages would not apply.
