Des Plaines Sales Tax: 10% Rate, Groceries, and Restaurant Meals

The Des Plaines sales tax on general merchandise is 10.00%, made up of state, Cook County, regional transit, and city portions. That’s the rate you’ll see on most physical goods rung up at a Des Plaines register. Groceries, prescription drugs, vehicles, and restaurant meals each work differently, and the state’s grocery tax rules changed on January 1, 2026.1City of Des Plaines. Tax Rate Information

What Makes Up the 10% Rate

Four taxing authorities each add a piece to every general merchandise purchase in the city:1City of Des Plaines. Tax Rate Information

Your receipt shows one tax line. The split matters mainly when you compare prices across suburbs, because each city sets its own home rule rate.

Groceries: What Changed in 2026

Illinois eliminated its statewide 1% grocery tax effective January 1, 2026, and at the same time authorized cities and counties to impose their own 1% local grocery tax by ordinance.5Illinois Department of Revenue. Illinois Grocery Tax Changes Effective January 1, 2026 Des Plaines passed that ordinance. Shoppers in the city still pay 1% on qualifying groceries; the revenue now flows to Des Plaines rather than Springfield.

For a Des Plaines shopper, the day-to-day rate on bread, produce, and dairy stayed at 1%. The definition of taxable groceries didn’t change. Items already taxed at the higher general merchandise rate, including soft drinks, candy, alcoholic beverages, and food prepared for immediate consumption, remain at 10.00%.5Illinois Department of Revenue. Illinois Grocery Tax Changes Effective January 1, 2026

One thing worth knowing if you cross municipal lines: not every suburb enacted a local grocery ordinance. In a town that didn’t, the same groceries can ring up at 0%.

Prescription Drugs and Medical Items

The state’s 1% reduced rate on qualifying drugs and medical appliances was not repealed. Prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, and items like prosthetic devices and insulin syringes still carry the 1% state tax and are exempt from the local home rule and county home rule portions.5Illinois Department of Revenue. Illinois Grocery Tax Changes Effective January 1, 2026 A pharmacy purchase in Des Plaines lands well below the 10.00% general rate.

Restaurant Meals: 11% Total

Des Plaines charges a separate 1% food and beverage tax on meals prepared for immediate consumption, applied at restaurants, bars, catering operations, and carry-out counters.1City of Des Plaines. Tax Rate Information It’s a separate line from the general sales tax. A restaurant meal in Des Plaines carries the 10.00% sales tax plus this additional 1%, for an effective 11.00%. Both sit-down and takeout orders trigger it.

Vehicles and Other Titled Property

Buying a car in Des Plaines is taxed at a lower effective rate than most goods. Illinois law excludes titled property, meaning vehicles, trailers, watercraft, and similar items registered with a state agency, from both the municipal home rule tax and the county home rule tax.6Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code 86 Part 270 – Home Rule Municipal Retailers Occupation Tax The dealer collects the 6.25% state rate and remits it through the transaction return filed with the Illinois Department of Revenue.7Illinois Department of Revenue. Home Rule Sales Taxes

The 1.00% city and 1.75% county home rule pieces don’t apply. On a $40,000 vehicle, paying 6.25% instead of 10.00% is $1,500 less. Private-party vehicle sales work differently; the buyer typically handles the tax obligation directly when registering the vehicle with the Secretary of State’s office.

Online Orders Shipped to Des Plaines

Out-of-state retailers that ship into Illinois collect the full local rate, including the Des Plaines rate, once they cross an economic nexus threshold. As of January 1, 2026, that threshold is $100,000 or more in cumulative gross receipts from Illinois sales during the preceding 12-month period. The prior alternative threshold of 200 or more separate transactions was eliminated effective the same date.8Illinois Department of Revenue. FY 2026-12, Destination-Based Retailers Occupation Tax Changes

Remote sellers check their Illinois receipts at the end of March, June, September, and December. Once the $100,000 mark is crossed, collection begins the first day of the next quarter. Tax on a Des Plaines delivery address should match the 10.00% rate a local store would charge.9Illinois Department of Revenue. Sales and Use Tax