Chicago mayor recycles failed tax idea to fix $1.12B deficit – Illinois Policy

Chicago had a similar head tax from 1973-2014, which penalized companies for doing the very thing the economy needs: creating jobs. The tax made hiring more expensive for companies trying to grow. Recognizing the damage, former Mayor Rahm Emanuel made it a centerpiece of his campaign in 2011 to eliminate the head tax entirely. By 2012, the tax was reduced to $2 per employee and completely repealed by 2014. At the time, Emanuel called it “a job killer that puts Chicago at a disadvantage.” That statement remains true today.