Chicago City Wire

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the City of Chicago Department of Finance on October 31, 2024. The request was made by us at the Chicago City Wire, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.

The FOIA request seeks access to specific records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140. Specifically, we requested a list of businesses that paid sales tax to the city from January 1, 2023, to October 31, 2024. The requested details include each business's name and type as well as the amount of sales tax each paid during this period.

In addition to this information about individual businesses, we also asked for the total amount of sales tax that the city collected during this same time frame.

As members of the media involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, access to these public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These responsibilities include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. We believe that given our role in disseminating information, we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.

We await a response from the City of Chicago Department of Finance regarding our request. We remain committed to keeping you informed about matters concerning local government finance and will provide updates as soon as we receive further information.