ILLINOIS — On May 31, the Illinois legislature passed a tax on digital advertising revenue from tech companies like Meta, Amazon, and Google.
Big Tech resisted this and will challenge it in court. Nevertheless, we expect it to generate over $1.1 billion annually, a major increase in our state’s budget but still only a sliver of the mega-corporations’ runaway profits.
This is a breakout victory for the Illinois Revenue Alliance. This demonstrates how grassroots organizing can fight back against widening wealth gaps, cuts to essential services, ballooning corporate power, and growing authoritarianism.
ILRA organized massive days of action at the state capitol and grassroots lobbying of legislators. Our organizations’ lobbying and government relations staff collaborated daily inside the capitol, working with legislative allies to ensure chamber leaders heard the demand for progressive revenue.
This measure — initially proposed in 2021 by Action Center on Race and the Economy — became a top ILRA priority starting in 2025.
Through this campaign, along with the dedicated work of bill sponsors and corporate tax champions, Senator Robert Peters and Representative Norma Hernandez, we secured our biggest victory yet — the passage of the Digital Ads Tax.
The budget passed by Illinois’ General Assembly fell short on many issues. We will continue to fight, build new alliances, and create greater public demand for bolder decision-making.
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Illinois Revenue Alliance is a coalition of labor unions, community-based organizations, and legal advocacy centers. We advocate for sustained and equitable revenue streams to fund essential programs that help low- and moderate-income families thrive.