County Wants To Impose Tax On Craigslist Car Purchases
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Cook County budget that is up for a vote Friday includes a first-ever county tax on cars and boats bought through sites such as Craigslist.
But as WBBM Newsradio's Steve Miller reports, the plan comes as a surprise to the state office that would be playing a key role.
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Currently, the county does not impose a tax on transactions through Craigslist, or between neighbors, involving cars, boats, RVs and trailers.
But County Board President Toni Preckwinkle says a new 1 percent tax on such transactions would raise $8.5 million.
Preckwinkle would have the county tax collected when the title is transferred.
Titles are transferred at the Illinois Secretary of State's office.
But Secretary of State's office spokesman Dave Druker says Preckwinkle's plans come as a surprise.
"There haven't been any specific discussions that I'm aware of with Cook County, in terms of doing this," he said.
A spokesman for Preckwinkle says the county wouldn't start collecting the tax until April, so he says there's time to work out a system with the state.
