Illinois Vehicle Mileage Tax—Fix The Roads And Fund The Future – Forbes

Opinion of this Forbes columnist: "Illinois lawmakers appear to be considering a revival of the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax—an idea that was first floated in 2019 but proved dead on arrival. Instead of recoiling from it as 'just another tax,' perhaps we should ask a more interesting question: what if the VMT tax is exactly what is needed to internalize the actual cost of road usage—not only in Illinois, but nationwide?"
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The Railroader
1 year ago

A mileage tax should only apply to vehicles, operating on Illinois highways, that don’t pay fuel taxes.

Your dime, your dance floor
1 year ago
Reply to  The Railroader

I totally agree. A gas tax is a sort of mileage tax. The more you drive, the more gas you use, and the more you pay in gas taxes. Pretty simple and a lot less government intrusion into your private life.

JackBolly
1 year ago

Author completely missed the issue of Democrats dog-robbing the road and bridge lock box funds for their pet spending.

Joey Zamboni
1 year ago

This is just the opening salvo…

This will not happen overnight, but it will occur, slowly, but it will happen…

I’m sure they already have plans ready to implement this & much more…

1984 in 2025…

Wally
1 year ago

How will you tax tourists, those just driving through IL, or vehicles without IL plates or registrations? What about interstate commercial vehicles that may pass through IL once a year? A lot of them already buy their gas outside of IL to avoid its high gas taxes. Sounds like IL will miss a lot of anticipated taxes, as usual.

earthling
1 year ago

insane bills like this along with absurd property tax and the severe pension crisis are reasons to seriously consider moving out of IL. for example, starting in 2026 Michigan will no longer tax retirement income, homes are far less expensive and property taxes are half of what they are in IL.

Joey Zamboni
1 year ago
Reply to  Mark Glennon

Keep your friends close, & your enemies closer…

We must be aware of what others (with influence & power) are thinking…

daskoterzar
1 year ago

Assuming the gas tax we pay actually goes to repairing the road (which I am sure it does not), electric cars should pay something to drive on the pavement and support their upkeep. But paying a mileage tax/toll to drive in Illinois will require some sort of monitoring device connected to the car like the toll transponder, but instead of just charging tolls and points on a highway, it is measuring and documenting where you drive and when…Nope. So the state and JumboJB will be involved in every move you make in a car. Once this starts, they will start… Read more »

taxpayer
1 year ago
Reply to  daskoterzar

You make valid points, but how would you recommend that the State generate revenue to pay for roads, including from operation of electric vehicles? (btw, they are already “mailing speeding tickets.”)

daskoterzar
1 year ago
Reply to  taxpayer

Yep, understood on the mailing of tickets, this would just be another new and exciting and more effective way of issuing them and then speeding and maybe even red light cameras wouldn’t be needed and the government entity gets to keep all the money. I don’t think the state of Illinois or the counties have a revenue problem, they have a spending problem. These agencies collect plenty of tax dollars from citizens, but they choose to spend these valuable hard earned dollars on programs that do not benefit the tax payer. The average tax payer get little or nothing for… Read more »

Last edited 1 year ago by daskoterzar
Deb
1 year ago

Maybe if Pritzker and the Democrats did not steal the gas tax money to fund illegals and special interest groups IL would have the money to fix roads and bridges. The gas tax was supposed to go to roads, not Democrat’s pockets.

mqyl
1 year ago

If this will be in addition to the gas tax, expect more out-migration of residents and their money.

Wilmette
1 year ago

Horrible tax and horrible overreach required to track what you are doing. Big brother just keeps on knocking – always wanting more oversight and more control over us.

Leaving Soon, just not soon enough
1 year ago

Already some of the highest gas taxes and the roads are bad to terrible. Spend the money you have wisely quit squandering most of it. Almost as many potholes in Illinois as pot heads.

Bill also
1 year ago

All people rely on roads, whether you drive or not. All should pay.

taxpayer
1 year ago
Reply to  Bill also

You’re correct that one way or another everyone needs roads. But some make a lot more use than others, and it’d be wise to have incentives to minimize road use, especially at peak hours. How would you recommend this be done?

Bill also
1 year ago
Reply to  taxpayer

Why should we be nudged into minimizing our road use . Our state government should stop spending on non essentials. That includes social programs.
See Debts comment above.

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