Illinois Crypto Tax Delayed to July 2027 as Legal Challenge Grows

TLDR

• The Crypto Council for Innovation and the Blockchain Association asked an Illinois court to fast-track a ruling on the state’s 0.2% crypto tax.
• The filing also cited a separate lawsuit from the Digital Chamber and the Illinois Blockchain Association.
• Illinois officials already agreed to delay the tax from Jan. 1, 2027, to July 1, 2027.
• If the court approves the faster schedule, a decision on the law could come by March.
• Blockchain Association CEO Summer Mersinger is stepping down Friday, with former CEO Kristin Smith returning as interim head.

Two major crypto advocacy groups are joining a legal fight against a new Illinois tax on digital assets. The Crypto Council for Innovation and the Blockchain Association want a court to rule on whether the tax is lawful.

The groups filed their request on Tuesday in the Circuit Court of Sangamon County. They asked the court to approve a faster schedule for summary judgment.

Summary judgment allows a court to decide a case without a full trial. The groups said they want “to reach a decision on the tax’s lawfulness as quickly as possible.”

Two Lawsuits Target the Illinois Crypto Tax

The filing pointed to the lawsuit the two groups brought against Illinois state officials. It also cited a separate lawsuit filed by the Digital Chamber and the Illinois Blockchain Association.

The law at the center of both cases is the Digital Asset Tax Act. It places a 0.2% tax on crypto assets in the state.

Earlier this month, Illinois officials agreed to delay the tax by six months. It was set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, but will now start on July 1, 2027.

The delay came as part of the Digital Chamber’s lawsuit. The group claimed the tax had been “slipped into the state’s budget” without debate or public feedback.

Digital Chamber CEO Cody Carbone said at the time that the group would keep up its legal fight. He said it would continue “until this tax is struck down for good.”

CCI CEO Ji Kim said the pause helps, but a ruling is still needed. “While pausing enforcement of the Digital Asset Tax Act protects Illinois consumers and businesses from this onerous and legally flawed tax until July 1, it remains imperative that the merits are determined as soon as possible,” Kim said.

Leadership Change at the Blockchain Association

The court filing comes during a leadership change at the Blockchain Association. CEO Summer Mersinger is scheduled to step down on Friday.

Mersinger joined the advocacy group last year. She took the role after resigning from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Kristin Smith, the group’s former CEO, will return as interim head. Mersinger is expected to stay with the organization until the end of 2026.

For now, the Illinois crypto tax remains on hold. It will not be enforced before July 1, 2027.

The faster schedule requested by the groups still needs approval from the court. If the court agrees, a decision on the merits of the law could come by March, several months before the delayed tax is set to begin.

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