On July 1 the state tax will hit almost 50 cents a gallon. Lawmakers made yearly automatic.
By Dylan Sharkey | Illinois Policy Institute
Illinois drivers will see another gas tax increase July 1.
The state tax will rise to 49.6 cents per gallon because of the automatic annual inflation increase built into the 2019 “Rebuild Illinois” infrastructure program signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
That means Illinois drivers will continue paying among the highest gas taxes in the country. Indiana and Georgia gave residents a gas tax holiday from high prices because of the war in Iran.
The average price of a gallon of gas in Illinois was $4.986 on May 6, up from about $3.40 a year ago, according to the AAA.
When Pritzker doubled the state gas tax from 19 cents to 38 cents in 2019, lawmakers also ensured Illinoisans would face automatic inflation-linked increases every year without another recorded vote.
Once federal, state and local taxes are combined, many Illinois drivers pay more than 85 cents per gallon in taxes alone at the pump. Only California and Michigan rival Illinois for the highest total gas taxes in the country.
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