Crespo Introduces Legislation to Make Sales Taxes More Transparent

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - As part of his continuing fight to make government transparent to citizens, state Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, announced he is sponsoring legislation to require the itemization of sales taxes on customer receipts.

"Taxpayers should be fully aware of where their hard-earned money is going," Crespo said. "This is a commonsense measure to make sure that when people see the sales tax on their receipts, they know what unit of government is collecting that tax."

Crespo is sponsoring House Bill 3095, which requires retail receipts to itemize the sales tax on a customer's receipt to detail the taxes imposed by each unit of government. Currently, only property taxpayers receive an itemized bill showing how much they pay to each unit of government. As a fiscal watchdog, Crespo led the charge to create the Debt Transparency Act, which revealed the full extent of financial problems created as a result of former Gov. Bruce Rauner's budget crisis. Crespo believes the same transparency in debt and property tax bills should be applied to sales taxes, so that taxpayers can better hold their government accountable.

"If taxpayers don't know where the taxes they pay are going, then they can't effectively hold elected officials accountable," Crespo added. "Showing an itemized list of sales taxes by a unit of government on a customer's receipt is a direct and simple way to show taxpayers where their money goes."