Marketers May Face Ad Tax Fight in Illinois

Governor Bruce Rauner and the Illinois General Assembly are locked in a heated battle over the state’s budget for the new fiscal year, which began on July 1st. During his successful election campaign last year, Rauner had proposed extending the sales tax to a number of services, including advertising on billboards, radio and television as well as ad agency services.  

The Governor has not specifically called for a new tax on services this year as part of the budget debate. However, ANA has been working closely with a coalition of other industry groups in Illinois for several months to prepare for a possible ad tax fight. This article from Crain’s Chicago Business describes “No Ad Tax Illinois” and the current situation in Springfield. More information about the coalition is available at http://noadtaxillinois.com.

While the Governor and legislators are currently locked in a stalemate, some budget deal will ultimately be reached and that deal may come together quickly. If your company has headquarters or significant operations in Illinois, it would be very helpful to weigh in with Governor Rauner and the leadership in the General Assembly to express your opposition to any tax on advertising. Contact information for the Assembly members is available here.