Public Act 0583 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2243 Enrolled LRB098 09659 HLH 39805 b

Public Act 098-0583

AN ACT concerning revenue.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Use Tax Act is amended by changing Sections 3, 3-5, 3-25, and 3-50 as follows:

(35 ILCS 105/3) (from Ch. 120, par. 439.3)

Sec. 3. Tax imposed. A tax is imposed upon the privilege of using in this State tangible personal property purchased at retail from a retailer, including computer software, and including photographs, negatives, and positives that are the product of photoprocessing, but not including products of photoprocessing produced for use in motion pictures for commercial exhibition. Beginning January 1, 2001, prepaid telephone calling arrangements shall be considered tangible personal property subject to the tax imposed under this Act regardless of the form in which those arrangements may be embodied, transmitted, or fixed by any method now known or hereafter developed. Purchases of (1) electricity delivered to customers by wire; (2) natural or artificial gas that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; and (3) water that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains are not subject to tax under this Act. The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 91-51, eff. 6-30-99; 91-870, eff. 6-22-00.)

(35 ILCS 105/3-5)

Sec. 3-5. Exemptions. Use of the following tangible personal property is exempt from the tax imposed by this Act:

(1) Personal property purchased from a corporation, society, association, foundation, institution, or organization, other than a limited liability company, that is organized and operated as a not-for-profit service enterprise for the benefit of persons 65 years of age or older if the personal property was not purchased by the enterprise for the purpose of resale by the enterprise.

(2) Personal property purchased by a not-for-profit Illinois county fair association for use in conducting, operating, or promoting the county fair.

(3) Personal property purchased by a not-for-profit arts or cultural organization that establishes, by proof required by the Department by rule, that it has received an exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that is organized and operated primarily for the presentation or support of arts or cultural programming, activities, or services. These organizations include, but are not limited to, music and dramatic arts organizations such as symphony orchestras and theatrical groups, arts and cultural service organizations, local arts councils, visual arts organizations, and media arts organizations. On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, however, an entity otherwise eligible for this exemption shall not make tax-free purchases unless it has an active identification number issued by the Department.

(4) Personal property purchased by a governmental body, by a corporation, society, association, foundation, or institution organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, or educational purposes, or by a not-for-profit corporation, society, association, foundation, institution, or organization that has no compensated officers or employees and that is organized and operated primarily for the recreation of persons 55 years of age or older. A limited liability company may qualify for the exemption under this paragraph only if the limited liability company is organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes. On and after July 1, 1987, however, no entity otherwise eligible for this exemption shall make tax-free purchases unless it has an active exemption identification number issued by the Department.

(5) Until July 1, 2003, a passenger car that is a replacement vehicle to the extent that the purchase price of the car is subject to the Replacement Vehicle Tax.

(6) Until July 1, 2003 and beginning again on September 1, 2004 through August 30, 2014, graphic arts machinery and equipment, including repair and replacement parts, both new and used, and including that manufactured on special order, certified by the purchaser to be used primarily for graphic arts production, and including machinery and equipment purchased for lease. Equipment includes chemicals or chemicals acting as catalysts but only if the chemicals or chemicals acting as catalysts effect a direct and immediate change upon a graphic arts product.

(7) Farm chemicals.

(8) Legal tender, currency, medallions, or gold or silver coinage issued by the State of Illinois, the government of the United States of America, or the government of any foreign country, and bullion.

(9) Personal property purchased from a teacher-sponsored student organization affiliated with an elementary or secondary school located in Illinois.

(10) A motor vehicle of the first division, a motor vehicle of the second division that is a self-contained motor vehicle designed or permanently converted to provide living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use, with direct walk through to the living quarters from the driver's seat, or a motor vehicle of the second division that is of the van configuration designed for the transportation of not less than 7 nor more than 16 passengers, as defined in Section 1-146 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, that is used for automobile renting, as defined in the Automobile Renting Occupation and Use Tax Act.

(11) Farm machinery and equipment, both new and used, including that manufactured on special order, certified by the purchaser to be used primarily for production agriculture or State or federal agricultural programs, including individual replacement parts for the machinery and equipment, including machinery and equipment purchased for lease, and including implements of husbandry defined in Section 1-130 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, farm machinery and agricultural chemical and fertilizer spreaders, and nurse wagons required to be registered under Section 3-809 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, but excluding other motor vehicles required to be registered under the Illinois Vehicle Code. Horticultural polyhouses or hoop houses used for propagating, growing, or overwintering plants shall be considered farm machinery and equipment under this item (11). Agricultural chemical tender tanks and dry boxes shall include units sold separately from a motor vehicle required to be licensed and units sold mounted on a motor vehicle required to be licensed if the selling price of the tender is separately stated.

Farm machinery and equipment shall include precision farming equipment that is installed or purchased to be installed on farm machinery and equipment including, but not limited to, tractors, harvesters, sprayers, planters, seeders, or spreaders. Precision farming equipment includes, but is not limited to, soil testing sensors, computers, monitors, software, global positioning and mapping systems, and other such equipment.

Farm machinery and equipment also includes computers, sensors, software, and related equipment used primarily in the computer-assisted operation of production agriculture facilities, equipment, and activities such as, but not limited to, the collection, monitoring, and correlation of animal and crop data for the purpose of formulating animal diets and agricultural chemicals. This item (11) is exempt from the provisions of Section 3-90.

(12) Fuel and petroleum products sold to or used by an air common carrier, certified by the carrier to be used for consumption, shipment, or storage in the conduct of its business as an air common carrier, for a flight destined for or returning from a location or locations outside the United States without regard to previous or subsequent domestic stopovers.

(13) Proceeds of mandatory service charges separately stated on customers' bills for the purchase and consumption of food and beverages purchased at retail from a retailer, to the extent that the proceeds of the service charge are in fact turned over as tips or as a substitute for tips to the employees who participate directly in preparing, serving, hosting or cleaning up the food or beverage function with respect to which the service charge is imposed.

(14) Until July 1, 2003, oil field exploration, drilling, and production equipment, including (i) rigs and parts of rigs, rotary rigs, cable tool rigs, and workover rigs, (ii) pipe and tubular goods, including casing and drill strings, (iii) pumps and pump-jack units, (iv) storage tanks and flow lines, (v) any individual replacement part for oil field exploration, drilling, and production equipment, and (vi) machinery and equipment purchased for lease; but excluding motor vehicles required to be registered under the Illinois Vehicle Code.

(15) Photoprocessing machinery and equipment, including repair and replacement parts, both new and used, including that manufactured on special order, certified by the purchaser to be used primarily for photoprocessing, and including photoprocessing machinery and equipment purchased for lease.

(16) Until July 1, 2003, and beginning again on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly and thereafter, coal and aggregate exploration, mining, offhighway hauling, processing, maintenance, and reclamation equipment, including replacement parts and equipment, and including equipment purchased for lease, but excluding motor vehicles required to be registered under the Illinois Vehicle Code.

(17) Until July 1, 2003, distillation machinery and equipment, sold as a unit or kit, assembled or installed by the retailer, certified by the user to be used only for the production of ethyl alcohol that will be used for consumption as motor fuel or as a component of motor fuel for the personal use of the user, and not subject to sale or resale.

(18) Manufacturing and assembling machinery and equipment used primarily in the process of manufacturing or assembling tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale or lease, whether that sale or lease is made directly by the manufacturer or by some other person, whether the materials used in the process are owned by the manufacturer or some other person, or whether that sale or lease is made apart from or as an incident to the seller's engaging in the service occupation of producing machines, tools, dies, jigs, patterns, gauges, or other similar items of no commercial value on special order for a particular purchaser. The exemption provided by this paragraph (18) does not include machinery and equipment used in (i) the generation of electricity for wholesale or retail sale; (ii) the generation or treatment of natural or artificial gas for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; or (iii) the treatment of water for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains. The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this exemption.

(19) Personal property delivered to a purchaser or purchaser's donee inside Illinois when the purchase order for that personal property was received by a florist located outside Illinois who has a florist located inside Illinois deliver the personal property.

(20) Semen used for artificial insemination of livestock for direct agricultural production.

(21) Horses, or interests in horses, registered with and meeting the requirements of any of the Arabian Horse Club Registry of America, Appaloosa Horse Club, American Quarter Horse Association, United States Trotting Association, or Jockey Club, as appropriate, used for purposes of breeding or racing for prizes. This item (21) is exempt from the provisions of Section 3-90, and the exemption provided for under this item (21) applies for all periods beginning May 30, 1995, but no claim for credit or refund is allowed on or after January 1, 2008 for such taxes paid during the period beginning May 30, 2000 and ending on January 1, 2008.

(22) Computers and communications equipment utilized for any hospital purpose and equipment used in the diagnosis, analysis, or treatment of hospital patients purchased by a lessor who leases the equipment, under a lease of one year or longer executed or in effect at the time the lessor would otherwise be subject to the tax imposed by this Act, to a hospital that has been issued an active tax exemption identification number by the Department under Section 1g of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. If the equipment is leased in a manner that does not qualify for this exemption or is used in any other non-exempt manner, the lessor shall be liable for the tax imposed under this Act or the Service Use Tax Act, as the case may be, based on the fair market value of the property at the time the non-qualifying use occurs. No lessor shall collect or attempt to collect an amount (however designated) that purports to reimburse that lessor for the tax imposed by this Act or the Service Use Tax Act, as the case may be, if the tax has not been paid by the lessor. If a lessor improperly collects any such amount from the lessee, the lessee shall have a legal right to claim a refund of that amount from the lessor. If, however, that amount is not refunded to the lessee for any reason, the lessor is liable to pay that amount to the Department.

(23) Personal property purchased by a lessor who leases the property, under a lease of one year or longer executed or in effect at the time the lessor would otherwise be subject to the tax imposed by this Act, to a governmental body that has been issued an active sales tax exemption identification number by the Department under Section 1g of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. If the property is leased in a manner that does not qualify for this exemption or used in any other non-exempt manner, the lessor shall be liable for the tax imposed under this Act or the Service Use Tax Act, as the case may be, based on the fair market value of the property at the time the non-qualifying use occurs. No lessor shall collect or attempt to collect an amount (however designated) that purports to reimburse that lessor for the tax imposed by this Act or the Service Use Tax Act, as the case may be, if the tax has not been paid by the lessor. If a lessor improperly collects any such amount from the lessee, the lessee shall have a legal right to claim a refund of that amount from the lessor. If, however, that amount is not refunded to the lessee for any reason, the lessor is liable to pay that amount to the Department.

(24) Beginning with taxable years ending on or after December 31, 1995 and ending with taxable years ending on or before December 31, 2004, personal property that is donated for disaster relief to be used in a State or federally declared disaster area in Illinois or bordering Illinois by a manufacturer or retailer that is registered in this State to a corporation, society, association, foundation, or institution that has been issued a sales tax exemption identification number by the Department that assists victims of the disaster who reside within the declared disaster area.

(25) Beginning with taxable years ending on or after December 31, 1995 and ending with taxable years ending on or before December 31, 2004, personal property that is used in the performance of infrastructure repairs in this State, including but not limited to municipal roads and streets, access roads, bridges, sidewalks, waste disposal systems, water and sewer line extensions, water distribution and purification facilities, storm water drainage and retention facilities, and sewage treatment facilities, resulting from a State or federally declared disaster in Illinois or bordering Illinois when such repairs are initiated on facilities located in the declared disaster area within 6 months after the disaster.

(26) Beginning July 1, 1999, game or game birds purchased at a "game breeding and hunting preserve area" as that term is used in the Wildlife Code. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 3-90.

(27) A motor vehicle, as that term is defined in Section 1-146 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, that is donated to a corporation, limited liability company, society, association, foundation, or institution that is determined by the Department to be organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes. For purposes of this exemption, "a corporation, limited liability company, society, association, foundation, or institution organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes" means all tax-supported public schools, private schools that offer systematic instruction in useful branches of learning by methods common to public schools and that compare favorably in their scope and intensity with the course of study presented in tax-supported schools, and vocational or technical schools or institutes organized and operated exclusively to provide a course of study of not less than 6 weeks duration and designed to prepare individuals to follow a trade or to pursue a manual, technical, mechanical, industrial, business, or commercial occupation.

(28) Beginning January 1, 2000, personal property, including food, purchased through fundraising events for the benefit of a public or private elementary or secondary school, a group of those schools, or one or more school districts if the events are sponsored by an entity recognized by the school district that consists primarily of volunteers and includes parents and teachers of the school children. This paragraph does not apply to fundraising events (i) for the benefit of private home instruction or (ii) for which the fundraising entity purchases the personal property sold at the events from another individual or entity that sold the property for the purpose of resale by the fundraising entity and that profits from the sale to the fundraising entity. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 3-90.

(29) Beginning January 1, 2000 and through December 31, 2001, new or used automatic vending machines that prepare and serve hot food and beverages, including coffee, soup, and other items, and replacement parts for these machines. Beginning January 1, 2002 and through June 30, 2003, machines and parts for machines used in commercial, coin-operated amusement and vending business if a use or occupation tax is paid on the gross receipts derived from the use of the commercial, coin-operated amusement and vending machines. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 3-90.

(30) Beginning January 1, 2001 and through June 30, 2016, food for human consumption that is to be consumed off the premises where it is sold (other than alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, and food that has been prepared for immediate consumption) and prescription and nonprescription medicines, drugs, medical appliances, and insulin, urine testing materials, syringes, and needles used by diabetics, for human use, when purchased for use by a person receiving medical assistance under Article V of the Illinois Public Aid Code who resides in a licensed long-term care facility, as defined in the Nursing Home Care Act, or in a licensed facility as defined in the ID/DD Community Care Act or the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act.

(31) Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, computers and communications equipment utilized for any hospital purpose and equipment used in the diagnosis, analysis, or treatment of hospital patients purchased by a lessor who leases the equipment, under a lease of one year or longer executed or in effect at the time the lessor would otherwise be subject to the tax imposed by this Act, to a hospital that has been issued an active tax exemption identification number by the Department under Section 1g of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. If the equipment is leased in a manner that does not qualify for this exemption or is used in any other nonexempt manner, the lessor shall be liable for the tax imposed under this Act or the Service Use Tax Act, as the case may be, based on the fair market value of the property at the time the nonqualifying use occurs. No lessor shall collect or attempt to collect an amount (however designated) that purports to reimburse that lessor for the tax imposed by this Act or the Service Use Tax Act, as the case may be, if the tax has not been paid by the lessor. If a lessor improperly collects any such amount from the lessee, the lessee shall have a legal right to claim a refund of that amount from the lessor. If, however, that amount is not refunded to the lessee for any reason, the lessor is liable to pay that amount to the Department. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 3-90.

(32) Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, personal property purchased by a lessor who leases the property, under a lease of one year or longer executed or in effect at the time the lessor would otherwise be subject to the tax imposed by this Act, to a governmental body that has been issued an active sales tax exemption identification number by the Department under Section 1g of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. If the property is leased in a manner that does not qualify for this exemption or used in any other nonexempt manner, the lessor shall be liable for the tax imposed under this Act or the Service Use Tax Act, as the case may be, based on the fair market value of the property at the time the nonqualifying use occurs. No lessor shall collect or attempt to collect an amount (however designated) that purports to reimburse that lessor for the tax imposed by this Act or the Service Use Tax Act, as the case may be, if the tax has not been paid by the lessor. If a lessor improperly collects any such amount from the lessee, the lessee shall have a legal right to claim a refund of that amount from the lessor. If, however, that amount is not refunded to the lessee for any reason, the lessor is liable to pay that amount to the Department. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 3-90.

(33) On and after July 1, 2003 and through June 30, 2004, the use in this State of motor vehicles of the second division with a gross vehicle weight in excess of 8,000 pounds and that are subject to the commercial distribution fee imposed under Section 3-815.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. Beginning on July 1, 2004 and through June 30, 2005, the use in this State of motor vehicles of the second division: (i) with a gross vehicle weight rating in excess of 8,000 pounds; (ii) that are subject to the commercial distribution fee imposed under Section 3-815.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code; and (iii) that are primarily used for commercial purposes. Through June 30, 2005, this exemption applies to repair and replacement parts added after the initial purchase of such a motor vehicle if that motor vehicle is used in a manner that would qualify for the rolling stock exemption otherwise provided for in this Act. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "used for commercial purposes" means the transportation of persons or property in furtherance of any commercial or industrial enterprise, whether for-hire or not.

(34) Beginning January 1, 2008, tangible personal property used in the construction or maintenance of a community water supply, as defined under Section 3.145 of the Environmental Protection Act, that is operated by a not-for-profit corporation that holds a valid water supply permit issued under Title IV of the Environmental Protection Act. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 3-90.

(35) Beginning January 1, 2010, materials, parts, equipment, components, and furnishings incorporated into or upon an aircraft as part of the modification, refurbishment, completion, replacement, repair, or maintenance of the aircraft. This exemption includes consumable supplies used in the modification, refurbishment, completion, replacement, repair, and maintenance of aircraft, but excludes any materials, parts, equipment, components, and consumable supplies used in the modification, replacement, repair, and maintenance of aircraft engines or power plants, whether such engines or power plants are installed or uninstalled upon any such aircraft. "Consumable supplies" include, but are not limited to, adhesive, tape, sandpaper, general purpose lubricants, cleaning solution, latex gloves, and protective films. This exemption applies only to those organizations that (i) hold an Air Agency Certificate and are empowered to operate an approved repair station by the Federal Aviation Administration, (ii) have a Class IV Rating, and (iii) conduct operations in accordance with Part 145 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. The exemption does not include aircraft operated by a commercial air carrier providing scheduled passenger air service pursuant to authority issued under Part 121 or Part 129 of the Federal Aviation Regulations.

(36) Tangible personal property purchased by a public-facilities corporation, as described in Section 11-65-10 of the Illinois Municipal Code, for purposes of constructing or furnishing a municipal convention hall, but only if the legal title to the municipal convention hall is transferred to the municipality without any further consideration by or on behalf of the municipality at the time of the completion of the municipal convention hall or upon the retirement or redemption of any bonds or other debt instruments issued by the public-facilities corporation in connection with the development of the municipal convention hall. This exemption includes existing public-facilities corporations as provided in Section 11-65-25 of the Illinois Municipal Code. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 3-90.

(Source: P.A. 96-116, eff. 7-31-09; 96-339, eff. 7-1-10; 96-532, eff. 8-14-09; 96-759, eff. 1-1-10; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10; 97-38, eff. 6-28-11; 97-227, eff. 1-1-12; 97-431, eff. 8-16-11; 97-636, eff. 6-1-12; 97-767, eff. 7-9-12.)

(35 ILCS 105/3-25) (from Ch. 120, par. 439.3-25)

Sec. 3-25. Computer software. For the purposes of this Act, "computer software" means a set of statements, data, or instructions to be used directly or indirectly in a computer in order to bring about a certain result in any form in which those statements, data, or instructions may be embodied, transmitted, or fixed, by any method now known or hereafter developed, regardless of whether the statements, data, or instructions are capable of being perceived by or communicated to humans, and includes prewritten or canned software that is held for repeated sale or lease, and all associated documentation and materials, if any, whether contained on magnetic tapes, discs, cards, or other devices or media, but does not include software that is adapted to specific individualized requirements of a purchaser, custom-made and modified software designed for a particular or limited use by a purchaser, or software used to operate exempt machinery and equipment used in the process of manufacturing or assembling tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale or lease. Software used to operate machinery and equipment used in (i) the generation of electricity for wholesale or retail sale; (ii) the generation or treatment of natural or artificial gas for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; or (iii) the treatment of water for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains is considered "computer software". The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this exemption.

For the purposes of this Act, computer software shall be considered to be tangible personal property.

(Source: P.A. 91-51, eff. 6-30-99.)

(35 ILCS 105/3-50) (from Ch. 120, par. 439.3-50)

Sec. 3-50. Manufacturing and assembly exemption. The manufacturing and assembling machinery and equipment exemption includes machinery and equipment that replaces machinery and equipment in an existing manufacturing facility as well as machinery and equipment that are for use in an expanded or new manufacturing facility. The machinery and equipment exemption also includes machinery and equipment used in the general maintenance or repair of exempt machinery and equipment or for in-house manufacture of exempt machinery and equipment. The machinery and equipment exemption does not include machinery and equipment used in (i) the generation of electricity for wholesale or retail sale; (ii) the generation or treatment of natural or artificial gas for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; or (iii) the treatment of water for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains. The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this exemption. For the purposes of this exemption, terms have the following meanings:

(1) "Manufacturing process" means the production of an article of tangible personal property, whether the article is a finished product or an article for use in the process of manufacturing or assembling a different article of tangible personal property, by a procedure commonly regarded as manufacturing, processing, fabricating, or refining that changes some existing material into a material with a different form, use, or name. In relation to a recognized integrated business composed of a series of operations that collectively constitute manufacturing, or individually constitute manufacturing operations, the manufacturing process commences with the first operation or stage of production in the series and does not end until the completion of the final product in the last operation or stage of production in the series. For purposes of this exemption, photoprocessing is a manufacturing process of tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale.

(2) "Assembling process" means the production of an article of tangible personal property, whether the article is a finished product or an article for use in the process of manufacturing or assembling a different article of tangible personal property, by the combination of existing materials in a manner commonly regarded as assembling that results in an article or material of a different form, use, or name.

(3) "Machinery" means major mechanical machines or major components of those machines contributing to a manufacturing or assembling process.

(4) "Equipment" includes an independent device or tool separate from machinery but essential to an integrated manufacturing or assembly process; including computers used primarily in a manufacturer's computer assisted design, computer assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system; any subunit or assembly comprising a component of any machinery or auxiliary, adjunct, or attachment parts of machinery, such as tools, dies, jigs, fixtures, patterns, and molds; and any parts that require periodic replacement in the course of normal operation; but does not include hand tools. Equipment includes chemicals or chemicals acting as catalysts but only if the chemicals or chemicals acting as catalysts effect a direct and immediate change upon a product being manufactured or assembled for wholesale or retail sale or lease.

(5) "Production related tangible personal property" means all tangible personal property that is used or consumed by the purchaser in a manufacturing facility in which a manufacturing process takes place and includes, without limitation, tangible personal property that is purchased for incorporation into real estate within a manufacturing facility and tangible personal property that is used or consumed in activities such as research and development, preproduction material handling, receiving, quality control, inventory control, storage, staging, and packaging for shipping and transportation purposes. "Production related tangible personal property" does not include (i) tangible personal property that is used, within or without a manufacturing facility, in sales, purchasing, accounting, fiscal management, marketing, personnel recruitment or selection, or landscaping or (ii) tangible personal property that is required to be titled or registered with a department, agency, or unit of federal, State, or local government.

The manufacturing and assembling machinery and equipment exemption includes production related tangible personal property that is purchased on or after July 1, 2007 and on or before June 30, 2008. The exemption for production related tangible personal property is subject to both of the following limitations:

(1) The maximum amount of the exemption for any one taxpayer may not exceed 5% of the purchase price of production related tangible personal property that is purchased on or after July 1, 2007 and on or before June 30, 2008. A credit under Section 3-85 of this Act may not be earned by the purchase of production related tangible personal property for which an exemption is received under this Section.

(2) The maximum aggregate amount of the exemptions for production related tangible personal property awarded under this Act and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act to all taxpayers may not exceed $10,000,000. If the claims for the exemption exceed $10,000,000, then the Department shall reduce the amount of the exemption to each taxpayer on a pro rata basis. The Department may adopt rules to implement and administer the exemption for production related tangible personal property.

The manufacturing and assembling machinery and equipment exemption includes the sale of materials to a purchaser who produces exempted types of machinery, equipment, or tools and who rents or leases that machinery, equipment, or tools to a manufacturer of tangible personal property. This exemption also includes the sale of materials to a purchaser who manufactures those materials into an exempted type of machinery, equipment, or tools that the purchaser uses himself or herself in the manufacturing of tangible personal property. This exemption includes the sale of exempted types of machinery or equipment to a purchaser who is not the manufacturer, but who rents or leases the use of the property to a manufacturer. The purchaser of the machinery and equipment who has an active resale registration number shall furnish that number to the seller at the time of purchase. A user of the machinery, equipment, or tools without an active resale registration number shall prepare a certificate of exemption for each transaction stating facts establishing the exemption for that transaction, and that certificate shall be available to the Department for inspection or audit. The Department shall prescribe the form of the certificate. Informal rulings, opinions, or letters issued by the Department in response to an inquiry or request for an opinion from any person regarding the coverage and applicability of this exemption to specific devices shall be published, maintained as a public record, and made available for public inspection and copying. If the informal ruling, opinion, or letter contains trade secrets or other confidential information, where possible, the Department shall delete that information before publication. Whenever informal rulings, opinions, or letters contain a policy of general applicability, the Department shall formulate and adopt that policy as a rule in accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(Source: P.A. 95-707, eff. 1-11-08.)

Section 10. The Service Use Tax Act is amended by changing Sections 2, 3, and 3-25 as follows:

(35 ILCS 110/2) (from Ch. 120, par. 439.32)

Sec. 2. "Use" means the exercise by any person of any right or power over tangible personal property incident to the ownership of that property, but does not include the sale or use for demonstration by him of that property in any form as tangible personal property in the regular course of business. "Use" does not mean the interim use of tangible personal property nor the physical incorporation of tangible personal property, as an ingredient or constituent, into other tangible personal property, (a) which is sold in the regular course of business or (b) which the person incorporating such ingredient or constituent therein has undertaken at the time of such purchase to cause to be transported in interstate commerce to destinations outside the State of Illinois.

"Purchased from a serviceman" means the acquisition of the ownership of, or title to, tangible personal property through a sale of service.

"Purchaser" means any person who, through a sale of service, acquires the ownership of, or title to, any tangible personal property.

"Cost price" means the consideration paid by the serviceman for a purchase valued in money, whether paid in money or otherwise, including cash, credits and services, and shall be determined without any deduction on account of the supplier's cost of the property sold or on account of any other expense incurred by the supplier. When a serviceman contracts out part or all of the services required in his sale of service, it shall be presumed that the cost price to the serviceman of the property transferred to him or her by his or her subcontractor is equal to 50% of the subcontractor's charges to the serviceman in the absence of proof of the consideration paid by the subcontractor for the purchase of such property.

"Selling price" means the consideration for a sale valued in money whether received in money or otherwise, including cash, credits and service, and shall be determined without any deduction on account of the serviceman's cost of the property sold, the cost of materials used, labor or service cost or any other expense whatsoever, but does not include interest or finance charges which appear as separate items on the bill of sale or sales contract nor charges that are added to prices by sellers on account of the seller's duty to collect, from the purchaser, the tax that is imposed by this Act.

"Department" means the Department of Revenue.

"Person" means any natural individual, firm, partnership, association, joint stock company, joint venture, public or private corporation, limited liability company, and any receiver, executor, trustee, guardian or other representative appointed by order of any court.

"Sale of service" means any transaction except:

(1) a retail sale of tangible personal property taxable under the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act or under the Use Tax Act.

(2) a sale of tangible personal property for the purpose of resale made in compliance with Section 2c of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act.

(3) except as hereinafter provided, a sale or transfer of tangible personal property as an incident to the rendering of service for or by any governmental body, or for or by any corporation, society, association, foundation or institution organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious or educational purposes or any not-for-profit corporation, society, association, foundation, institution or organization which has no compensated officers or employees and which is organized and operated primarily for the recreation of persons 55 years of age or older. A limited liability company may qualify for the exemption under this paragraph only if the limited liability company is organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes.

(4) a sale or transfer of tangible personal property as an incident to the rendering of service for interstate carriers for hire for use as rolling stock moving in interstate commerce or by lessors under a lease of one year or longer, executed or in effect at the time of purchase of personal property, to interstate carriers for hire for use as rolling stock moving in interstate commerce so long as so used by such interstate carriers for hire, and equipment operated by a telecommunications provider, licensed as a common carrier by the Federal Communications Commission, which is permanently installed in or affixed to aircraft moving in interstate commerce.

(4a) a sale or transfer of tangible personal property as an incident to the rendering of service for owners, lessors, or shippers of tangible personal property which is utilized by interstate carriers for hire for use as rolling stock moving in interstate commerce so long as so used by interstate carriers for hire, and equipment operated by a telecommunications provider, licensed as a common carrier by the Federal Communications Commission, which is permanently installed in or affixed to aircraft moving in interstate commerce.

(4a-5) on and after July 1, 2003 and through June 30, 2004, a sale or transfer of a motor vehicle of the second division with a gross vehicle weight in excess of 8,000 pounds as an incident to the rendering of service if that motor vehicle is subject to the commercial distribution fee imposed under Section 3-815.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. Beginning on July 1, 2004 and through June 30, 2005, the use in this State of motor vehicles of the second division: (i) with a gross vehicle weight rating in excess of 8,000 pounds; (ii) that are subject to the commercial distribution fee imposed under Section 3-815.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code; and (iii) that are primarily used for commercial purposes. Through June 30, 2005, this exemption applies to repair and replacement parts added after the initial purchase of such a motor vehicle if that motor vehicle is used in a manner that would qualify for the rolling stock exemption otherwise provided for in this Act. For purposes of this paragraph, "used for commercial purposes" means the transportation of persons or property in furtherance of any commercial or industrial enterprise whether for-hire or not.

(5) a sale or transfer of machinery and equipment used primarily in the process of the manufacturing or assembling, either in an existing, an expanded or a new manufacturing facility, of tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale or lease, whether such sale or lease is made directly by the manufacturer or by some other person, whether the materials used in the process are owned by the manufacturer or some other person, or whether such sale or lease is made apart from or as an incident to the seller's engaging in a service occupation and the applicable tax is a Service Use Tax or Service Occupation Tax, rather than Use Tax or Retailers' Occupation Tax. The exemption provided by this paragraph (5) does not include machinery and equipment used in (i) the generation of electricity for wholesale or retail sale; (ii) the generation or treatment of natural or artificial gas for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; or (iii) the treatment of water for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains. The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this exemption.

(5a) the repairing, reconditioning or remodeling, for a common carrier by rail, of tangible personal property which belongs to such carrier for hire, and as to which such carrier receives the physical possession of the repaired, reconditioned or remodeled item of tangible personal property in Illinois, and which such carrier transports, or shares with another common carrier in the transportation of such property, out of Illinois on a standard uniform bill of lading showing the person who repaired, reconditioned or remodeled the property to a destination outside Illinois, for use outside Illinois.

(5b) a sale or transfer of tangible personal property which is produced by the seller thereof on special order in such a way as to have made the applicable tax the Service Occupation Tax or the Service Use Tax, rather than the Retailers' Occupation Tax or the Use Tax, for an interstate carrier by rail which receives the physical possession of such property in Illinois, and which transports such property, or shares with another common carrier in the transportation of such property, out of Illinois on a standard uniform bill of lading showing the seller of the property as the shipper or consignor of such property to a destination outside Illinois, for use outside Illinois.

(6) until July 1, 2003, a sale or transfer of distillation machinery and equipment, sold as a unit or kit and assembled or installed by the retailer, which machinery and equipment is certified by the user to be used only for the production of ethyl alcohol that will be used for consumption as motor fuel or as a component of motor fuel for the personal use of such user and not subject to sale or resale.

(7) at the election of any serviceman not required to be otherwise registered as a retailer under Section 2a of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, made for each fiscal year sales of service in which the aggregate annual cost price of tangible personal property transferred as an incident to the sales of service is less than 35%, or 75% in the case of servicemen transferring prescription drugs or servicemen engaged in graphic arts production, of the aggregate annual total gross receipts from all sales of service. The purchase of such tangible personal property by the serviceman shall be subject to tax under the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act and the Use Tax Act. However, if a primary serviceman who has made the election described in this paragraph subcontracts service work to a secondary serviceman who has also made the election described in this paragraph, the primary serviceman does not incur a Use Tax liability if the secondary serviceman (i) has paid or will pay Use Tax on his or her cost price of any tangible personal property transferred to the primary serviceman and (ii) certifies that fact in writing to the primary serviceman.

Tangible personal property transferred incident to the completion of a maintenance agreement is exempt from the tax imposed pursuant to this Act.

Exemption (5) also includes machinery and equipment used in the general maintenance or repair of such exempt machinery and equipment or for in-house manufacture of exempt machinery and equipment. The machinery and equipment exemption does not include machinery and equipment used in (i) the generation of electricity for wholesale or retail sale; (ii) the generation or treatment of natural or artificial gas for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; or (iii) the treatment of water for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains. The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this exemption. For the purposes of exemption (5), each of these terms shall have the following meanings: (1) "manufacturing process" shall mean the production of any article of tangible personal property, whether such article is a finished product or an article for use in the process of manufacturing or assembling a different article of tangible personal property, by procedures commonly regarded as manufacturing, processing, fabricating, or refining which changes some existing material or materials into a material with a different form, use or name. In relation to a recognized integrated business composed of a series of operations which collectively constitute manufacturing, or individually constitute manufacturing operations, the manufacturing process shall be deemed to commence with the first operation or stage of production in the series, and shall not be deemed to end until the completion of the final product in the last operation or stage of production in the series; and further, for purposes of exemption (5), photoprocessing is deemed to be a manufacturing process of tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale; (2) "assembling process" shall mean the production of any article of tangible personal property, whether such article is a finished product or an article for use in the process of manufacturing or assembling a different article of tangible personal property, by the combination of existing materials in a manner commonly regarded as assembling which results in a material of a different form, use or name; (3) "machinery" shall mean major mechanical machines or major components of such machines contributing to a manufacturing or assembling process; and (4) "equipment" shall include any independent device or tool separate from any machinery but essential to an integrated manufacturing or assembly process; including computers used primarily in a manufacturer's computer assisted design, computer assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system; or any subunit or assembly comprising a component of any machinery or auxiliary, adjunct or attachment parts of machinery, such as tools, dies, jigs, fixtures, patterns and molds; or any parts which require periodic replacement in the course of normal operation; but shall not include hand tools. Equipment includes chemicals or chemicals acting as catalysts but only if the chemicals or chemicals acting as catalysts effect a direct and immediate change upon a product being manufactured or assembled for wholesale or retail sale or lease. The purchaser of such machinery and equipment who has an active resale registration number shall furnish such number to the seller at the time of purchase. The user of such machinery and equipment and tools without an active resale registration number shall prepare a certificate of exemption for each transaction stating facts establishing the exemption for that transaction, which certificate shall be available to the Department for inspection or audit. The Department shall prescribe the form of the certificate.

Any informal rulings, opinions or letters issued by the Department in response to an inquiry or request for any opinion from any person regarding the coverage and applicability of exemption (5) to specific devices shall be published, maintained as a public record, and made available for public inspection and copying. If the informal ruling, opinion or letter contains trade secrets or other confidential information, where possible the Department shall delete such information prior to publication. Whenever such informal rulings, opinions, or letters contain any policy of general applicability, the Department shall formulate and adopt such policy as a rule in accordance with the provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

On and after July 1, 1987, no entity otherwise eligible under exemption (3) of this Section shall make tax free purchases unless it has an active exemption identification number issued by the Department.

The purchase, employment and transfer of such tangible personal property as newsprint and ink for the primary purpose of conveying news (with or without other information) is not a purchase, use or sale of service or of tangible personal property within the meaning of this Act.

"Serviceman" means any person who is engaged in the occupation of making sales of service.

"Sale at retail" means "sale at retail" as defined in the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act.

"Supplier" means any person who makes sales of tangible personal property to servicemen for the purpose of resale as an incident to a sale of service.

"Serviceman maintaining a place of business in this State", or any like term, means and includes any serviceman:

1. having or maintaining within this State, directly or by a subsidiary, an office, distribution house, sales house, warehouse or other place of business, or any agent or other representative operating within this State under the authority of the serviceman or its subsidiary, irrespective of whether such place of business or agent or other representative is located here permanently or temporarily, or whether such serviceman or subsidiary is licensed to do business in this State;

1.1. beginning July 1, 2011, having a contract with a person located in this State under which the person, for a commission or other consideration based on the sale of service by the serviceman, directly or indirectly refers potential customers to the serviceman by a link on the person's Internet website. The provisions of this paragraph 1.1 shall apply only if the cumulative gross receipts from sales of service by the serviceman to customers who are referred to the serviceman by all persons in this State under such contracts exceed $10,000 during the preceding 4 quarterly periods ending on the last day of March, June, September, and December;

1.2. beginning July 1, 2011, having a contract with a person located in this State under which:

A. the serviceman sells the same or substantially similar line of services as the person located in this State and does so using an identical or substantially similar name, trade name, or trademark as the person located in this State; and

B. the serviceman provides a commission or other consideration to the person located in this State based upon the sale of services by the serviceman.

The provisions of this paragraph 1.2 shall apply only if the cumulative gross receipts from sales of service by the serviceman to customers in this State under all such contracts exceed $10,000 during the preceding 4 quarterly periods ending on the last day of March, June, September, and December;

2. soliciting orders for tangible personal property by means of a telecommunication or television shopping system (which utilizes toll free numbers) which is intended by the retailer to be broadcast by cable television or other means of broadcasting, to consumers located in this State;

3. pursuant to a contract with a broadcaster or publisher located in this State, soliciting orders for tangible personal property by means of advertising which is disseminated primarily to consumers located in this State and only secondarily to bordering jurisdictions;

4. soliciting orders for tangible personal property by mail if the solicitations are substantial and recurring and if the retailer benefits from any banking, financing, debt collection, telecommunication, or marketing activities occurring in this State or benefits from the location in this State of authorized installation, servicing, or repair facilities;

5. being owned or controlled by the same interests which own or control any retailer engaging in business in the same or similar line of business in this State;

6. having a franchisee or licensee operating under its trade name if the franchisee or licensee is required to collect the tax under this Section;

7. pursuant to a contract with a cable television operator located in this State, soliciting orders for tangible personal property by means of advertising which is transmitted or distributed over a cable television system in this State; or

8. engaging in activities in Illinois, which activities in the state in which the supply business engaging in such activities is located would constitute maintaining a place of business in that state.

(Source: P.A. 96-1544, eff. 3-10-11.)

(35 ILCS 110/3) (from Ch. 120, par. 439.33)

Sec. 3. Tax imposed. A tax is imposed upon the privilege of using in this State real or tangible personal property acquired as an incident to the purchase of a service from a serviceman, including computer software, and including photographs, negatives, and positives that are the product of photoprocessing, but not including products of photoprocessing produced for use in motion pictures for public commercial exhibition. Beginning January 1, 2001, prepaid telephone calling arrangements shall be considered tangible personal property subject to the tax imposed under this Act regardless of the form in which those arrangements may be embodied, transmitted, or fixed by any method now known or hereafter developed. Purchases of (1) electricity delivered to customers by wire; (2) natural or artificial gas that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; and (3) water that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains are not subject to tax under this Act. The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 91-51, eff. 6-30-99; 91-870, eff. 6-22-00.)

(35 ILCS 110/3-25) (from Ch. 120, par. 439.33-25)

Sec. 3-25. Computer software. For the purposes of this Act, "computer software" means a set of statements, data, or instructions to be used directly or indirectly in a computer in order to bring about a certain result in any form in which those statements, data, or instructions may be embodied, transmitted, or fixed, by any method now known or hereafter developed, regardless of whether the statements, data, or instructions are capable of being perceived by or communicated to humans, and includes prewritten or canned software that is held for repeated sale or lease, and all associated documentation and materials, if any, whether contained on magnetic tapes, discs, cards, or other devices or media, but does not include software that is adapted to specific individualized requirements of a purchaser, custom-made and modified software designed for a particular or limited use by a purchaser, or software used to operate exempt machinery and equipment used in the process of manufacturing or assembling tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale or lease. Software used to operate machinery and equipment used in (i) the generation of electricity for wholesale or retail sale; (ii) the generation or treatment of natural or artificial gas for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; or (iii) the treatment of water for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains is considered "computer software". The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this exemption.

For the purposes of this Act, computer software shall be considered to be tangible personal property.

(Source: P.A. 91-51, eff. 6-30-99.)

Section 15. The Service Occupation Tax Act is amended by changing Sections 2, 3, and 3-25 as follows:

(35 ILCS 115/2) (from Ch. 120, par. 439.102)

Sec. 2. "Transfer" means any transfer of the title to property or of the ownership of property whether or not the transferor retains title as security for the payment of amounts due him from the transferee.

"Cost Price" means the consideration paid by the serviceman for a purchase valued in money, whether paid in money or otherwise, including cash, credits and services, and shall be determined without any deduction on account of the supplier's cost of the property sold or on account of any other expense incurred by the supplier. When a serviceman contracts out part or all of the services required in his sale of service, it shall be presumed that the cost price to the serviceman of the property transferred to him by his or her subcontractor is equal to 50% of the subcontractor's charges to the serviceman in the absence of proof of the consideration paid by the subcontractor for the purchase of such property.

"Department" means the Department of Revenue.

"Person" means any natural individual, firm, partnership, association, joint stock company, joint venture, public or private corporation, limited liability company, and any receiver, executor, trustee, guardian or other representative appointed by order of any court.

"Sale of Service" means any transaction except:

(a) A retail sale of tangible personal property taxable under the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act or under the Use Tax Act.

(b) A sale of tangible personal property for the purpose of resale made in compliance with Section 2c of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act.

(c) Except as hereinafter provided, a sale or transfer of tangible personal property as an incident to the rendering of service for or by any governmental body or for or by any corporation, society, association, foundation or institution organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious or educational purposes or any not-for-profit corporation, society, association, foundation, institution or organization which has no compensated officers or employees and which is organized and operated primarily for the recreation of persons 55 years of age or older. A limited liability company may qualify for the exemption under this paragraph only if the limited liability company is organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes.

(d) A sale or transfer of tangible personal property as an incident to the rendering of service for interstate carriers for hire for use as rolling stock moving in interstate commerce or lessors under leases of one year or longer, executed or in effect at the time of purchase, to interstate carriers for hire for use as rolling stock moving in interstate commerce, and equipment operated by a telecommunications provider, licensed as a common carrier by the Federal Communications Commission, which is permanently installed in or affixed to aircraft moving in interstate commerce.

(d-1) A sale or transfer of tangible personal property as an incident to the rendering of service for owners, lessors or shippers of tangible personal property which is utilized by interstate carriers for hire for use as rolling stock moving in interstate commerce, and equipment operated by a telecommunications provider, licensed as a common carrier by the Federal Communications Commission, which is permanently installed in or affixed to aircraft moving in interstate commerce.

(d-1.1) On and after July 1, 2003 and through June 30, 2004, a sale or transfer of a motor vehicle of the second division with a gross vehicle weight in excess of 8,000 pounds as an incident to the rendering of service if that motor vehicle is subject to the commercial distribution fee imposed under Section 3-815.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. Beginning on July 1, 2004 and through June 30, 2005, the use in this State of motor vehicles of the second division: (i) with a gross vehicle weight rating in excess of 8,000 pounds; (ii) that are subject to the commercial distribution fee imposed under Section 3-815.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code; and (iii) that are primarily used for commercial purposes. Through June 30, 2005, this exemption applies to repair and replacement parts added after the initial purchase of such a motor vehicle if that motor vehicle is used in a manner that would qualify for the rolling stock exemption otherwise provided for in this Act. For purposes of this paragraph, "used for commercial purposes" means the transportation of persons or property in furtherance of any commercial or industrial enterprise whether for-hire or not.

(d-2) The repairing, reconditioning or remodeling, for a common carrier by rail, of tangible personal property which belongs to such carrier for hire, and as to which such carrier receives the physical possession of the repaired, reconditioned or remodeled item of tangible personal property in Illinois, and which such carrier transports, or shares with another common carrier in the transportation of such property, out of Illinois on a standard uniform bill of lading showing the person who repaired, reconditioned or remodeled the property as the shipper or consignor of such property to a destination outside Illinois, for use outside Illinois.

(d-3) A sale or transfer of tangible personal property which is produced by the seller thereof on special order in such a way as to have made the applicable tax the Service Occupation Tax or the Service Use Tax, rather than the Retailers' Occupation Tax or the Use Tax, for an interstate carrier by rail which receives the physical possession of such property in Illinois, and which transports such property, or shares with another common carrier in the transportation of such property, out of Illinois on a standard uniform bill of lading showing the seller of the property as the shipper or consignor of such property to a destination outside Illinois, for use outside Illinois.

(d-4) Until January 1, 1997, a sale, by a registered serviceman paying tax under this Act to the Department, of special order printed materials delivered outside Illinois and which are not returned to this State, if delivery is made by the seller or agent of the seller, including an agent who causes the product to be delivered outside Illinois by a common carrier or the U.S. postal service.

(e) A sale or transfer of machinery and equipment used primarily in the process of the manufacturing or assembling, either in an existing, an expanded or a new manufacturing facility, of tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale or lease, whether such sale or lease is made directly by the manufacturer or by some other person, whether the materials used in the process are owned by the manufacturer or some other person, or whether such sale or lease is made apart from or as an incident to the seller's engaging in a service occupation and the applicable tax is a Service Occupation Tax or Service Use Tax, rather than Retailers' Occupation Tax or Use Tax. The exemption provided by this paragraph (e) does not include machinery and equipment used in (i) the generation of electricity for wholesale or retail sale; (ii) the generation or treatment of natural or artificial gas for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; or (iii) the treatment of water for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains. The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this exemption.

(f) Until July 1, 2003, the sale or transfer of distillation machinery and equipment, sold as a unit or kit and assembled or installed by the retailer, which machinery and equipment is certified by the user to be used only for the production of ethyl alcohol that will be used for consumption as motor fuel or as a component of motor fuel for the personal use of such user and not subject to sale or resale.

(g) At the election of any serviceman not required to be otherwise registered as a retailer under Section 2a of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, made for each fiscal year sales of service in which the aggregate annual cost price of tangible personal property transferred as an incident to the sales of service is less than 35% (75% in the case of servicemen transferring prescription drugs or servicemen engaged in graphic arts production) of the aggregate annual total gross receipts from all sales of service. The purchase of such tangible personal property by the serviceman shall be subject to tax under the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act and the Use Tax Act. However, if a primary serviceman who has made the election described in this paragraph subcontracts service work to a secondary serviceman who has also made the election described in this paragraph, the primary serviceman does not incur a Use Tax liability if the secondary serviceman (i) has paid or will pay Use Tax on his or her cost price of any tangible personal property transferred to the primary serviceman and (ii) certifies that fact in writing to the primary serviceman.

Tangible personal property transferred incident to the completion of a maintenance agreement is exempt from the tax imposed pursuant to this Act.

Exemption (e) also includes machinery and equipment used in the general maintenance or repair of such exempt machinery and equipment or for in-house manufacture of exempt machinery and equipment. The machinery and equipment exemption does not include machinery and equipment used in (i) the generation of electricity for wholesale or retail sale; (ii) the generation or treatment of natural or artificial gas for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; or (iii) the treatment of water for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains. The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this exemption. For the purposes of exemption (e), each of these terms shall have the following meanings: (1) "manufacturing process" shall mean the production of any article of tangible personal property, whether such article is a finished product or an article for use in the process of manufacturing or assembling a different article of tangible personal property, by procedures commonly regarded as manufacturing, processing, fabricating, or refining which changes some existing material or materials into a material with a different form, use or name. In relation to a recognized integrated business composed of a series of operations which collectively constitute manufacturing, or individually constitute manufacturing operations, the manufacturing process shall be deemed to commence with the first operation or stage of production in the series, and shall not be deemed to end until the completion of the final product in the last operation or stage of production in the series; and further for purposes of exemption (e), photoprocessing is deemed to be a manufacturing process of tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale; (2) "assembling process" shall mean the production of any article of tangible personal property, whether such article is a finished product or an article for use in the process of manufacturing or assembling a different article of tangible personal property, by the combination of existing materials in a manner commonly regarded as assembling which results in a material of a different form, use or name; (3) "machinery" shall mean major mechanical machines or major components of such machines contributing to a manufacturing or assembling process; and (4) "equipment" shall include any independent device or tool separate from any machinery but essential to an integrated manufacturing or assembly process; including computers used primarily in a manufacturer's computer assisted design, computer assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system; or any subunit or assembly comprising a component of any machinery or auxiliary, adjunct or attachment parts of machinery, such as tools, dies, jigs, fixtures, patterns and molds; or any parts which require periodic replacement in the course of normal operation; but shall not include hand tools. Equipment includes chemicals or chemicals acting as catalysts but only if the chemicals or chemicals acting as catalysts effect a direct and immediate change upon a product being manufactured or assembled for wholesale or retail sale or lease. The purchaser of such machinery and equipment who has an active resale registration number shall furnish such number to the seller at the time of purchase. The purchaser of such machinery and equipment and tools without an active resale registration number shall furnish to the seller a certificate of exemption for each transaction stating facts establishing the exemption for that transaction, which certificate shall be available to the Department for inspection or audit.

Except as provided in Section 2d of this Act, the rolling stock exemption applies to rolling stock used by an interstate carrier for hire, even just between points in Illinois, if such rolling stock transports, for hire, persons whose journeys or property whose shipments originate or terminate outside Illinois.

Any informal rulings, opinions or letters issued by the Department in response to an inquiry or request for any opinion from any person regarding the coverage and applicability of exemption (e) to specific devices shall be published, maintained as a public record, and made available for public inspection and copying. If the informal ruling, opinion or letter contains trade secrets or other confidential information, where possible the Department shall delete such information prior to publication. Whenever such informal rulings, opinions, or letters contain any policy of general applicability, the Department shall formulate and adopt such policy as a rule in accordance with the provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

On and after July 1, 1987, no entity otherwise eligible under exemption (c) of this Section shall make tax free purchases unless it has an active exemption identification number issued by the Department.

"Serviceman" means any person who is engaged in the occupation of making sales of service.

"Sale at Retail" means "sale at retail" as defined in the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act.

"Supplier" means any person who makes sales of tangible personal property to servicemen for the purpose of resale as an incident to a sale of service.

(Source: P.A. 92-484, eff. 8-23-01; 93-23, eff. 6-20-03; 93-24, eff. 6-20-03; 93-1033, eff. 9-3-04.)

(35 ILCS 115/3) (from Ch. 120, par. 439.103)

Sec. 3. Tax imposed. A tax is imposed upon all persons engaged in the business of making sales of service (referred to as "servicemen") on all tangible personal property transferred as an incident of a sale of service, including computer software, and including photographs, negatives, and positives that are the product of photoprocessing, but not including products of photoprocessing produced for use in motion pictures for public commercial exhibition. Beginning January 1, 2001, prepaid telephone calling arrangements shall be considered tangible personal property subject to the tax imposed under this Act regardless of the form in which those arrangements may be embodied, transmitted, or fixed by any method now known or hereafter developed. Sales of (1) electricity delivered to customers by wire; (2) natural or artificial gas that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; and (3) water that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains are not subject to tax under this Act. The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 91-51, eff. 6-30-99; 91-870, eff. 6-22-00.)

(35 ILCS 115/3-25) (from Ch. 120, par. 439.103-25)

Sec. 3-25. Computer software. For the purposes of this Act, "computer software" means a set of statements, data, or instructions to be used directly or indirectly in a computer in order to bring about a certain result in any form in which those statements, data, or instructions may be embodied, transmitted, or fixed, by any method now known or hereafter developed, regardless of whether the statements, data, or instructions are capable of being perceived by or communicated to humans, and includes prewritten or canned software that is held for repeated sale or lease, and all associated documentation and materials, if any, whether contained on magnetic tapes, discs, cards, or other devices or media, but does not include software that is adapted to specific individualized requirements of a purchaser, custom-made and modified software designed for a particular or limited use by a purchaser, or software used to operate exempt machinery and equipment used in the process of manufacturing or assembling tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale or lease. Software used to operate machinery and equipment used in (i) the generation of electricity for wholesale or retail sale; (ii) the generation or treatment of natural or artificial gas for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; or (iii) the treatment of water for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains is considered "computer software". The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this exemption.

For the purposes of this Act, computer software shall be considered to be tangible personal property.

(Source: P.A. 91-51, eff. 6-30-99.)

Section 20. The Retailers' Occupation Tax Act is amended by changing Sections 1d, 2, 2-5, 2-25, 2-45, and 2a as follows:

(35 ILCS 120/1d) (from Ch. 120, par. 440d)

Sec. 1d. Subject to the provisions of Section 1f, all tangible personal property to be used or consumed within an enterprise zone established pursuant to the "Illinois Enterprise Zone Act", as amended, or subject to the provisions of Section 5.5 of the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act, all tangible personal property to be used or consumed by any High Impact Business, in the process of the manufacturing or assembly of tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale or lease or in the process of graphic arts production if used or consumed at a facility which is a Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity certified business and located in a county of more than 4,000 persons and less than 45,000 persons is exempt from the tax imposed by this Act. This exemption includes repair and replacement parts for machinery and equipment used primarily in the process of manufacturing or assembling tangible personal property or in the process of graphic arts production if used or consumed at a facility which is a Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity certified business and located in a county of more than 4,000 persons and less than 45,000 persons for wholesale or retail sale, or lease, and equipment, manufacturing or graphic arts fuels, material and supplies for the maintenance, repair or operation of such manufacturing or assembling or graphic arts machinery or equipment. The exemption provided in this Section for tangible personal property to be used or consumed in the process of manufacturing or assembly of tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale or lease, and the repair and replacement parts for that machinery and equipment, does not apply to such property used or consumed in (i) the generation of electricity for wholesale or retail sale; (ii) the generation or treatment of natural or artificial gas for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; or (iii) the treatment of water for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains. The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this exemption.

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)

(35 ILCS 120/2) (from Ch. 120, par. 441)

Sec. 2. Tax imposed. A tax is imposed upon persons engaged in the business of selling at retail tangible personal property, including computer software, and including photographs, negatives, and positives that are the product of photoprocessing, but not including products of photoprocessing produced for use in motion pictures for public commercial exhibition. Beginning January 1, 2001, prepaid telephone calling arrangements shall be considered tangible personal property subject to the tax imposed under this Act regardless of the form in which those arrangements may be embodied, transmitted, or fixed by any method now known or hereafter developed. Sales of (1) electricity delivered to customers by wire; (2) natural or artificial gas that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; and (3) water that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains are not subject to tax under this Act. The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 91-51, eff. 6-30-99; 91-870, eff. 6-22-00.)

(35 ILCS 120/2-5)

Sec. 2-5. Exemptions. Gross receipts from proceeds from the sale of the following tangible personal property are exempt from the tax imposed by this Act:

(1) Farm chemicals.

(2) Farm machinery and equipment, both new and used, including that manufactured on special order, certified by the purchaser to be used primarily for production agriculture or State or federal agricultural programs, including individual replacement parts for the machinery and equipment, including machinery and equipment purchased for lease, and including implements of husbandry defined in Section 1-130 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, farm machinery and agricultural chemical and fertilizer spreaders, and nurse wagons required to be registered under Section 3-809 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, but excluding other motor vehicles required to be registered under the Illinois Vehicle Code. Horticultural polyhouses or hoop houses used for propagating, growing, or overwintering plants shall be considered farm machinery and equipment under this item (2). Agricultural chemical tender tanks and dry boxes shall include units sold separately from a motor vehicle required to be licensed and units sold mounted on a motor vehicle required to be licensed, if the selling price of the tender is separately stated.

Farm machinery and equipment shall include precision farming equipment that is installed or purchased to be installed on farm machinery and equipment including, but not limited to, tractors, harvesters, sprayers, planters, seeders, or spreaders. Precision farming equipment includes, but is not limited to, soil testing sensors, computers, monitors, software, global positioning and mapping systems, and other such equipment.

Farm machinery and equipment also includes computers, sensors, software, and related equipment used primarily in the computer-assisted operation of production agriculture facilities, equipment, and activities such as, but not limited to, the collection, monitoring, and correlation of animal and crop data for the purpose of formulating animal diets and agricultural chemicals. This item (2) is exempt from the provisions of Section 2-70.

(3) Until July 1, 2003, distillation machinery and equipment, sold as a unit or kit, assembled or installed by the retailer, certified by the user to be used only for the production of ethyl alcohol that will be used for consumption as motor fuel or as a component of motor fuel for the personal use of the user, and not subject to sale or resale.

(4) Until July 1, 2003 and beginning again September 1, 2004 through August 30, 2014, graphic arts machinery and equipment, including repair and replacement parts, both new and used, and including that manufactured on special order or purchased for lease, certified by the purchaser to be used primarily for graphic arts production. Equipment includes chemicals or chemicals acting as catalysts but only if the chemicals or chemicals acting as catalysts effect a direct and immediate change upon a graphic arts product.

(5) A motor vehicle of the first division, a motor vehicle of the second division that is a self contained motor vehicle designed or permanently converted to provide living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use, with direct walk through access to the living quarters from the driver's seat, or a motor vehicle of the second division that is of the van configuration designed for the transportation of not less than 7 nor more than 16 passengers, as defined in Section 1-146 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, that is used for automobile renting, as defined in the Automobile Renting Occupation and Use Tax Act. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 2-70.

(6) Personal property sold by a teacher-sponsored student organization affiliated with an elementary or secondary school located in Illinois.

(7) Until July 1, 2003, proceeds of that portion of the selling price of a passenger car the sale of which is subject to the Replacement Vehicle Tax.

(8) Personal property sold to an Illinois county fair association for use in conducting, operating, or promoting the county fair.

(9) Personal property sold to a not-for-profit arts or cultural organization that establishes, by proof required by the Department by rule, that it has received an exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that is organized and operated primarily for the presentation or support of arts or cultural programming, activities, or services. These organizations include, but are not limited to, music and dramatic arts organizations such as symphony orchestras and theatrical groups, arts and cultural service organizations, local arts councils, visual arts organizations, and media arts organizations. On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, however, an entity otherwise eligible for this exemption shall not make tax-free purchases unless it has an active identification number issued by the Department.

(10) Personal property sold by a corporation, society, association, foundation, institution, or organization, other than a limited liability company, that is organized and operated as a not-for-profit service enterprise for the benefit of persons 65 years of age or older if the personal property was not purchased by the enterprise for the purpose of resale by the enterprise.

(11) Personal property sold to a governmental body, to a corporation, society, association, foundation, or institution organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, or educational purposes, or to a not-for-profit corporation, society, association, foundation, institution, or organization that has no compensated officers or employees and that is organized and operated primarily for the recreation of persons 55 years of age or older. A limited liability company may qualify for the exemption under this paragraph only if the limited liability company is organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes. On and after July 1, 1987, however, no entity otherwise eligible for this exemption shall make tax-free purchases unless it has an active identification number issued by the Department.

(12) Tangible personal property sold to interstate carriers for hire for use as rolling stock moving in interstate commerce or to lessors under leases of one year or longer executed or in effect at the time of purchase by interstate carriers for hire for use as rolling stock moving in interstate commerce and equipment operated by a telecommunications provider, licensed as a common carrier by the Federal Communications Commission, which is permanently installed in or affixed to aircraft moving in interstate commerce.

(12-5) On and after July 1, 2003 and through June 30, 2004, motor vehicles of the second division with a gross vehicle weight in excess of 8,000 pounds that are subject to the commercial distribution fee imposed under Section 3-815.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. Beginning on July 1, 2004 and through June 30, 2005, the use in this State of motor vehicles of the second division: (i) with a gross vehicle weight rating in excess of 8,000 pounds; (ii) that are subject to the commercial distribution fee imposed under Section 3-815.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code; and (iii) that are primarily used for commercial purposes. Through June 30, 2005, this exemption applies to repair and replacement parts added after the initial purchase of such a motor vehicle if that motor vehicle is used in a manner that would qualify for the rolling stock exemption otherwise provided for in this Act. For purposes of this paragraph, "used for commercial purposes" means the transportation of persons or property in furtherance of any commercial or industrial enterprise whether for-hire or not.

(13) Proceeds from sales to owners, lessors, or shippers of tangible personal property that is utilized by interstate carriers for hire for use as rolling stock moving in interstate commerce and equipment operated by a telecommunications provider, licensed as a common carrier by the Federal Communications Commission, which is permanently installed in or affixed to aircraft moving in interstate commerce.

(14) Machinery and equipment that will be used by the purchaser, or a lessee of the purchaser, primarily in the process of manufacturing or assembling tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale or lease, whether the sale or lease is made directly by the manufacturer or by some other person, whether the materials used in the process are owned by the manufacturer or some other person, or whether the sale or lease is made apart from or as an incident to the seller's engaging in the service occupation of producing machines, tools, dies, jigs, patterns, gauges, or other similar items of no commercial value on special order for a particular purchaser. The exemption provided by this paragraph (14) does not include machinery and equipment used in (i) the generation of electricity for wholesale or retail sale; (ii) the generation or treatment of natural or artificial gas for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; or (iii) the treatment of water for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains. The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this exemption.

(15) Proceeds of mandatory service charges separately stated on customers' bills for purchase and consumption of food and beverages, to the extent that the proceeds of the service charge are in fact turned over as tips or as a substitute for tips to the employees who participate directly in preparing, serving, hosting or cleaning up the food or beverage function with respect to which the service charge is imposed.

(16) Petroleum products sold to a purchaser if the seller is prohibited by federal law from charging tax to the purchaser.

(17) Tangible personal property sold to a common carrier by rail or motor that receives the physical possession of the property in Illinois and that transports the property, or shares with another common carrier in the transportation of the property, out of Illinois on a standard uniform bill of lading showing the seller of the property as the shipper or consignor of the property to a destination outside Illinois, for use outside Illinois.

(18) Legal tender, currency, medallions, or gold or silver coinage issued by the State of Illinois, the government of the United States of America, or the government of any foreign country, and bullion.

(19) Until July 1 2003, oil field exploration, drilling, and production equipment, including (i) rigs and parts of rigs, rotary rigs, cable tool rigs, and workover rigs, (ii) pipe and tubular goods, including casing and drill strings, (iii) pumps and pump-jack units, (iv) storage tanks and flow lines, (v) any individual replacement part for oil field exploration, drilling, and production equipment, and (vi) machinery and equipment purchased for lease; but excluding motor vehicles required to be registered under the Illinois Vehicle Code.

(20) Photoprocessing machinery and equipment, including repair and replacement parts, both new and used, including that manufactured on special order, certified by the purchaser to be used primarily for photoprocessing, and including photoprocessing machinery and equipment purchased for lease.

(21) Until July 1, 2003, and beginning again on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly and thereafter, coal and aggregate exploration, mining, offhighway hauling, processing, maintenance, and reclamation equipment, including replacement parts and equipment, and including equipment purchased for lease, but excluding motor vehicles required to be registered under the Illinois Vehicle Code.

(22) Fuel and petroleum products sold to or used by an air carrier, certified by the carrier to be used for consumption, shipment, or storage in the conduct of its business as an air common carrier, for a flight destined for or returning from a location or locations outside the United States without regard to previous or subsequent domestic stopovers.

(23) A transaction in which the purchase order is received by a florist who is located outside Illinois, but who has a florist located in Illinois deliver the property to the purchaser or the purchaser's donee in Illinois.

(24) Fuel consumed or used in the operation of ships, barges, or vessels that are used primarily in or for the transportation of property or the conveyance of persons for hire on rivers bordering on this State if the fuel is delivered by the seller to the purchaser's barge, ship, or vessel while it is afloat upon that bordering river.

(25) Except as provided in item (25-5) of this Section, a motor vehicle sold in this State to a nonresident even though the motor vehicle is delivered to the nonresident in this State, if the motor vehicle is not to be titled in this State, and if a drive-away permit is issued to the motor vehicle as provided in Section 3-603 of the Illinois Vehicle Code or if the nonresident purchaser has vehicle registration plates to transfer to the motor vehicle upon returning to his or her home state. The issuance of the drive-away permit or having the out-of-state registration plates to be transferred is prima facie evidence that the motor vehicle will not be titled in this State.

(25-5) The exemption under item (25) does not apply if the state in which the motor vehicle will be titled does not allow a reciprocal exemption for a motor vehicle sold and delivered in that state to an Illinois resident but titled in Illinois. The tax collected under this Act on the sale of a motor vehicle in this State to a resident of another state that does not allow a reciprocal exemption shall be imposed at a rate equal to the state's rate of tax on taxable property in the state in which the purchaser is a resident, except that the tax shall not exceed the tax that would otherwise be imposed under this Act. At the time of the sale, the purchaser shall execute a statement, signed under penalty of perjury, of his or her intent to title the vehicle in the state in which the purchaser is a resident within 30 days after the sale and of the fact of the payment to the State of Illinois of tax in an amount equivalent to the state's rate of tax on taxable property in his or her state of residence and shall submit the statement to the appropriate tax collection agency in his or her state of residence. In addition, the retailer must retain a signed copy of the statement in his or her records. Nothing in this item shall be construed to require the removal of the vehicle from this state following the filing of an intent to title the vehicle in the purchaser's state of residence if the purchaser titles the vehicle in his or her state of residence within 30 days after the date of sale. The tax collected under this Act in accordance with this item (25-5) shall be proportionately distributed as if the tax were collected at the 6.25% general rate imposed under this Act.

(25-7) Beginning on July 1, 2007, no tax is imposed under this Act on the sale of an aircraft, as defined in Section 3 of the Illinois Aeronautics Act, if all of the following conditions are met:

(1) the aircraft leaves this State within 15 days after the later of either the issuance of the final billing for the sale of the aircraft, or the authorized approval for return to service, completion of the maintenance record entry, and completion of the test flight and ground test for inspection, as required by 14 C.F.R. 91.407;

(2) the aircraft is not based or registered in this State after the sale of the aircraft; and

(3) the seller retains in his or her books and records and provides to the Department a signed and dated certification from the purchaser, on a form prescribed by the Department, certifying that the requirements of this item (25-7) are met. The certificate must also include the name and address of the purchaser, the address of the location where the aircraft is to be titled or registered, the address of the primary physical location of the aircraft, and other information that the Department may reasonably require.

For purposes of this item (25-7):

"Based in this State" means hangared, stored, or otherwise used, excluding post-sale customizations as defined in this Section, for 10 or more days in each 12-month period immediately following the date of the sale of the aircraft.

"Registered in this State" means an aircraft registered with the Department of Transportation, Aeronautics Division, or titled or registered with the Federal Aviation Administration to an address located in this State.

This paragraph (25-7) is exempt from the provisions of Section 2-70.

(26) Semen used for artificial insemination of livestock for direct agricultural production.

(27) Horses, or interests in horses, registered with and meeting the requirements of any of the Arabian Horse Club Registry of America, Appaloosa Horse Club, American Quarter Horse Association, United States Trotting Association, or Jockey Club, as appropriate, used for purposes of breeding or racing for prizes. This item (27) is exempt from the provisions of Section 2-70, and the exemption provided for under this item (27) applies for all periods beginning May 30, 1995, but no claim for credit or refund is allowed on or after January 1, 2008 (the effective date of Public Act 95-88) for such taxes paid during the period beginning May 30, 2000 and ending on January 1, 2008 (the effective date of Public Act 95-88).

(28) Computers and communications equipment utilized for any hospital purpose and equipment used in the diagnosis, analysis, or treatment of hospital patients sold to a lessor who leases the equipment, under a lease of one year or longer executed or in effect at the time of the purchase, to a hospital that has been issued an active tax exemption identification number by the Department under Section 1g of this Act.

(29) Personal property sold to a lessor who leases the property, under a lease of one year or longer executed or in effect at the time of the purchase, to a governmental body that has been issued an active tax exemption identification number by the Department under Section 1g of this Act.

(30) Beginning with taxable years ending on or after December 31, 1995 and ending with taxable years ending on or before December 31, 2004, personal property that is donated for disaster relief to be used in a State or federally declared disaster area in Illinois or bordering Illinois by a manufacturer or retailer that is registered in this State to a corporation, society, association, foundation, or institution that has been issued a sales tax exemption identification number by the Department that assists victims of the disaster who reside within the declared disaster area.

(31) Beginning with taxable years ending on or after December 31, 1995 and ending with taxable years ending on or before December 31, 2004, personal property that is used in the performance of infrastructure repairs in this State, including but not limited to municipal roads and streets, access roads, bridges, sidewalks, waste disposal systems, water and sewer line extensions, water distribution and purification facilities, storm water drainage and retention facilities, and sewage treatment facilities, resulting from a State or federally declared disaster in Illinois or bordering Illinois when such repairs are initiated on facilities located in the declared disaster area within 6 months after the disaster.

(32) Beginning July 1, 1999, game or game birds sold at a "game breeding and hunting preserve area" as that term is used in the Wildlife Code. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 2-70.

(33) A motor vehicle, as that term is defined in Section 1-146 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, that is donated to a corporation, limited liability company, society, association, foundation, or institution that is determined by the Department to be organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes. For purposes of this exemption, "a corporation, limited liability company, society, association, foundation, or institution organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes" means all tax-supported public schools, private schools that offer systematic instruction in useful branches of learning by methods common to public schools and that compare favorably in their scope and intensity with the course of study presented in tax-supported schools, and vocational or technical schools or institutes organized and operated exclusively to provide a course of study of not less than 6 weeks duration and designed to prepare individuals to follow a trade or to pursue a manual, technical, mechanical, industrial, business, or commercial occupation.

(34) Beginning January 1, 2000, personal property, including food, purchased through fundraising events for the benefit of a public or private elementary or secondary school, a group of those schools, or one or more school districts if the events are sponsored by an entity recognized by the school district that consists primarily of volunteers and includes parents and teachers of the school children. This paragraph does not apply to fundraising events (i) for the benefit of private home instruction or (ii) for which the fundraising entity purchases the personal property sold at the events from another individual or entity that sold the property for the purpose of resale by the fundraising entity and that profits from the sale to the fundraising entity. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 2-70.

(35) Beginning January 1, 2000 and through December 31, 2001, new or used automatic vending machines that prepare and serve hot food and beverages, including coffee, soup, and other items, and replacement parts for these machines. Beginning January 1, 2002 and through June 30, 2003, machines and parts for machines used in commercial, coin-operated amusement and vending business if a use or occupation tax is paid on the gross receipts derived from the use of the commercial, coin-operated amusement and vending machines. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 2-70.

(35-5) Beginning August 23, 2001 and through June 30, 2016, food for human consumption that is to be consumed off the premises where it is sold (other than alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, and food that has been prepared for immediate consumption) and prescription and nonprescription medicines, drugs, medical appliances, and insulin, urine testing materials, syringes, and needles used by diabetics, for human use, when purchased for use by a person receiving medical assistance under Article V of the Illinois Public Aid Code who resides in a licensed long-term care facility, as defined in the Nursing Home Care Act, or a licensed facility as defined in the ID/DD Community Care Act or the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act.

(36) Beginning August 2, 2001, computers and communications equipment utilized for any hospital purpose and equipment used in the diagnosis, analysis, or treatment of hospital patients sold to a lessor who leases the equipment, under a lease of one year or longer executed or in effect at the time of the purchase, to a hospital that has been issued an active tax exemption identification number by the Department under Section 1g of this Act. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 2-70.

(37) Beginning August 2, 2001, personal property sold to a lessor who leases the property, under a lease of one year or longer executed or in effect at the time of the purchase, to a governmental body that has been issued an active tax exemption identification number by the Department under Section 1g of this Act. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 2-70.

(38) Beginning on January 1, 2002 and through June 30, 2016, tangible personal property purchased from an Illinois retailer by a taxpayer engaged in centralized purchasing activities in Illinois who will, upon receipt of the property in Illinois, temporarily store the property in Illinois (i) for the purpose of subsequently transporting it outside this State for use or consumption thereafter solely outside this State or (ii) for the purpose of being processed, fabricated, or manufactured into, attached to, or incorporated into other tangible personal property to be transported outside this State and thereafter used or consumed solely outside this State. The Director of Revenue shall, pursuant to rules adopted in accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, issue a permit to any taxpayer in good standing with the Department who is eligible for the exemption under this paragraph (38). The permit issued under this paragraph (38) shall authorize the holder, to the extent and in the manner specified in the rules adopted under this Act, to purchase tangible personal property from a retailer exempt from the taxes imposed by this Act. Taxpayers shall maintain all necessary books and records to substantiate the use and consumption of all such tangible personal property outside of the State of Illinois.

(39) Beginning January 1, 2008, tangible personal property used in the construction or maintenance of a community water supply, as defined under Section 3.145 of the Environmental Protection Act, that is operated by a not-for-profit corporation that holds a valid water supply permit issued under Title IV of the Environmental Protection Act. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 2-70.

(40) Beginning January 1, 2010, materials, parts, equipment, components, and furnishings incorporated into or upon an aircraft as part of the modification, refurbishment, completion, replacement, repair, or maintenance of the aircraft. This exemption includes consumable supplies used in the modification, refurbishment, completion, replacement, repair, and maintenance of aircraft, but excludes any materials, parts, equipment, components, and consumable supplies used in the modification, replacement, repair, and maintenance of aircraft engines or power plants, whether such engines or power plants are installed or uninstalled upon any such aircraft. "Consumable supplies" include, but are not limited to, adhesive, tape, sandpaper, general purpose lubricants, cleaning solution, latex gloves, and protective films. This exemption applies only to those organizations that (i) hold an Air Agency Certificate and are empowered to operate an approved repair station by the Federal Aviation Administration, (ii) have a Class IV Rating, and (iii) conduct operations in accordance with Part 145 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. The exemption does not include aircraft operated by a commercial air carrier providing scheduled passenger air service pursuant to authority issued under Part 121 or Part 129 of the Federal Aviation Regulations.

(41) Tangible personal property sold to a public-facilities corporation, as described in Section 11-65-10 of the Illinois Municipal Code, for purposes of constructing or furnishing a municipal convention hall, but only if the legal title to the municipal convention hall is transferred to the municipality without any further consideration by or on behalf of the municipality at the time of the completion of the municipal convention hall or upon the retirement or redemption of any bonds or other debt instruments issued by the public-facilities corporation in connection with the development of the municipal convention hall. This exemption includes existing public-facilities corporations as provided in Section 11-65-25 of the Illinois Municipal Code. This paragraph is exempt from the provisions of Section 2-70.

(Source: P.A. 96-116, eff. 7-31-09; 96-339, eff. 7-1-10; 96-532, eff. 8-14-09; 96-759, eff. 1-1-10; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10; 97-38, eff. 6-28-11; 97-73, eff. 6-30-11; 97-227, eff. 1-1-12; 97-431, eff. 8-16-11; 97-636, eff. 6-1-12; 97-767, eff. 7-9-12.)

(35 ILCS 120/2-25) (from Ch. 120, par. 441-25)

Sec. 2-25. Computer software. For the purposes of this Act, "computer software" means a set of statements, data, or instructions to be used directly or indirectly in a computer in order to bring about a certain result in any form in which those statements, data, or instructions may be embodied, transmitted, or fixed, by any method now known or hereafter developed, regardless of whether the statements, data, or instructions are capable of being perceived by or communicated to humans, and includes prewritten or canned software that is held for repeated sale or lease, and all associated documentation and materials, if any, whether contained on magnetic tapes, discs, cards, or other devices or media, but does not include software that is adapted to specific individualized requirements of a purchaser, custom-made and modified software designed for a particular or limited use by a purchaser, or software used to operate exempt machinery and equipment used in the process of manufacturing or assembling tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale or lease. Software used to operate machinery and equipment used in (i) the generation of electricity for wholesale or retail sale; (ii) the generation or treatment of natural or artificial gas for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; or (iii) the treatment of water for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains is considered "computer software". The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this exemption.

For the purposes of this Act, computer software shall be considered to be tangible personal property.

(Source: P.A. 91-51, eff. 6-30-99.)

(35 ILCS 120/2-45) (from Ch. 120, par. 441-45)

Sec. 2-45. Manufacturing and assembly exemption. The manufacturing and assembly machinery and equipment exemption includes machinery and equipment that replaces machinery and equipment in an existing manufacturing facility as well as machinery and equipment that are for use in an expanded or new manufacturing facility.

The machinery and equipment exemption also includes machinery and equipment used in the general maintenance or repair of exempt machinery and equipment or for in-house manufacture of exempt machinery and equipment. The machinery and equipment exemption does not include machinery and equipment used in (i) the generation of electricity for wholesale or retail sale; (ii) the generation or treatment of natural or artificial gas for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains; or (iii) the treatment of water for wholesale or retail sale that is delivered to customers through pipes, pipelines, or mains. The provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law as to the meaning and scope of this exemption. For the purposes of this exemption, terms have the following meanings:

(1) "Manufacturing process" means the production of an article of tangible personal property, whether the article is a finished product or an article for use in the process of manufacturing or assembling a different article of tangible personal property, by a procedure commonly regarded as manufacturing, processing, fabricating, or refining that changes some existing material or materials into a material with a different form, use, or name. In relation to a recognized integrated business composed of a series of operations that collectively constitute manufacturing, or individually constitute manufacturing operations, the manufacturing process commences with the first operation or stage of production in the series and does not end until the completion of the final product in the last operation or stage of production in the series. For purposes of this exemption, photoprocessing is a manufacturing process of tangible personal property for wholesale or retail sale.

(2) "Assembling process" means the production of an article of tangible personal property, whether the article is a finished product or an article for use in the process of manufacturing or assembling a different article of tangible personal property, by the combination of existing materials in a manner commonly regarded as assembling that results in a material of a different form, use, or name.

(3) "Machinery" means major mechanical machines or major components of those machines contributing to a manufacturing or assembling process.

(4) "Equipment" includes an independent device or tool separate from machinery but essential to an integrated manufacturing or assembly process; including computers used primarily in a manufacturer's computer assisted design, computer assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system; any subunit or assembly comprising a component of any machinery or auxiliary, adjunct, or attachment parts of machinery, such as tools, dies, jigs, fixtures, patterns, and molds; and any parts that require periodic replacement in the course of normal operation; but does not include hand tools. Equipment includes chemicals or chemicals acting as catalysts but only if the chemicals or chemicals acting as catalysts effect a direct and immediate change upon a product being manufactured or assembled for wholesale or retail sale or lease.

(5) "Production related tangible personal property" means all tangible personal property that is used or consumed by the purchaser in a manufacturing facility in which a manufacturing process takes place and includes, without limitation, tangible personal property that is purchased for incorporation into real estate within a manufacturing facility and tangible personal property that is used or consumed in activities such as research and development, preproduction material handling, receiving, quality control, inventory control, storage, staging, and packaging for shipping and transportation purposes. "Production related tangible personal property" does not include (i) tangible personal property that is used, within or without a manufacturing facility, in sales, purchasing, accounting, fiscal management, marketing, personnel recruitment or selection, or landscaping or (ii) tangible personal property that is required to be titled or registered with a department, agency, or unit of federal, State, or local government.

The manufacturing and assembling machinery and equipment exemption includes production related tangible personal property that is purchased on or after July 1, 2007 and on or before June 30, 2008. The exemption for production related tangible personal property is subject to both of the following limitations:

(1) The maximum amount of the exemption for any one taxpayer may not exceed 5% of the purchase price of production related tangible personal property that is purchased on or after July 1, 2007 and on or before June 30, 2008. A credit under Section 3-85 of this Act may not be earned by the purchase of production related tangible personal property for which an exemption is received under this Section.

(2) The maximum aggregate amount of the exemptions for production related tangible personal property awarded under this Act and the Use Tax Act to all taxpayers may not exceed $10,000,000. If the claims for the exemption exceed $10,000,000, then the Department shall reduce the amount of the exemption to each taxpayer on a pro rata basis. The Department may adopt rules to implement and administer the exemption for production related tangible personal property.

The manufacturing and assembling machinery and equipment exemption includes the sale of materials to a purchaser who produces exempted types of machinery, equipment, or tools and who rents or leases that machinery, equipment, or tools to a manufacturer of tangible personal property. This exemption also includes the sale of materials to a purchaser who manufactures those materials into an exempted type of machinery, equipment, or tools that the purchaser uses himself or herself in the manufacturing of tangible personal property. The purchaser of the machinery and equipment who has an active resale registration number shall furnish that number to the seller at the time of purchase. A purchaser of the machinery, equipment, and tools without an active resale registration number shall furnish to the seller a certificate of exemption for each transaction stating facts establishing the exemption for that transaction, and that certificate shall be available to the Department for inspection or audit. Informal rulings, opinions, or letters issued by the Department in response to an inquiry or request for an opinion from any person regarding the coverage and applicability of this exemption to specific devices shall be published, maintained as a public record, and made available for public inspection and copying. If the informal ruling, opinion, or letter contains trade secrets or other confidential information, where possible, the Department shall delete that information before publication. Whenever informal rulings, opinions, or letters contain a policy of general applicability, the Department shall formulate and adopt that policy as a rule in accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(Source: P.A. 95-707, eff. 1-11-08; 96-328, eff. 8-11-09.)

(35 ILCS 120/2a) (from Ch. 120, par. 441a)

Sec. 2a. It is unlawful for any person to engage in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State without a certificate of registration from the Department. Application for a certificate of registration shall be made to the Department upon forms furnished by it. Each such application shall be signed and verified and shall state: (1) the name and social security number of the applicant; (2) the address of his principal place of business; (3) the address of the principal place of business from which he engages in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State and the addresses of all other places of business, if any (enumerating such addresses, if any, in a separate list attached to and made a part of the application), from which he engages in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State; (4) the name and address of the person or persons who will be responsible for filing returns and payment of taxes due under this Act; (5) in the case of a publicly traded corporation, the name and title of the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and any other officer or employee with responsibility for preparing tax returns under this Act, along with the last 4 digits of each of their social security numbers, and in the case of all other corporations a corporation, the name, title, and social security number of each corporate officer; (6) in the case of a limited liability company, the name, social security number, and FEIN number of each manager and member; and (7) such other information as the Department may reasonably require. The application shall contain an acceptance of responsibility signed by the person or persons who will be responsible for filing returns and payment of the taxes due under this Act. If the applicant will sell tangible personal property at retail through vending machines, his application to register shall indicate the number of vending machines to be so operated. If requested by the Department at any time, that person shall verify the total number of vending machines he or she uses in his or her business of selling tangible personal property at retail.

The Department may deny a certificate of registration to any applicant if the owner, any partner, any manager or member of a limited liability company, or a corporate officer of the applicant, is or has been the owner, a partner, a manager or member of a limited liability company, or a corporate officer, of another retailer that is in default for moneys due under this Act.

The Department may require an applicant for a certificate of registration hereunder to, at the time of filing such application, furnish a bond from a surety company authorized to do business in the State of Illinois, or an irrevocable bank letter of credit or a bond signed by 2 personal sureties who have filed, with the Department, sworn statements disclosing net assets equal to at least 3 times the amount of the bond to be required of such applicant, or a bond secured by an assignment of a bank account or certificate of deposit, stocks or bonds, conditioned upon the applicant paying to the State of Illinois all moneys becoming due under this Act and under any other State tax law or municipal or county tax ordinance or resolution under which the certificate of registration that is issued to the applicant under this Act will permit the applicant to engage in business without registering separately under such other law, ordinance or resolution. In making a determination as to whether to require a bond or other security, the Department shall take into consideration whether the owner, any partner, any manager or member of a limited liability company, or a corporate officer of the applicant is or has been the owner, a partner, a manager or member of a limited liability company, or a corporate officer of another retailer that is in default for moneys due under this Act or any other tax or fee Act administered by the Department; and whether the owner, any partner, any manager or member of a limited liability company, or a corporate officer of the applicant is or has been the owner, a partner, a manager or member of a limited liability company, or a corporate officer of another retailer whose certificate of registration has been revoked within the previous 5 years under this Act or any other tax or fee Act administered by the Department. If a bond or other security is required, the Department shall fix the amount of the bond or other security, taking into consideration the amount of money expected to become due from the applicant under this Act and under any other State tax law or municipal or county tax ordinance or resolution under which the certificate of registration that is issued to the applicant under this Act will permit the applicant to engage in business without registering separately under such other law, ordinance, or resolution. The amount of security required by the Department shall be such as, in its opinion, will protect the State of Illinois against failure to pay the amount which may become due from the applicant under this Act and under any other State tax law or municipal or county tax ordinance or resolution under which the certificate of registration that is issued to the applicant under this Act will permit the applicant to engage in business without registering separately under such other law, ordinance or resolution, but the amount of the security required by the Department shall not exceed three times the amount of the applicant's average monthly tax liability, or $50,000.00, whichever amount is lower.

No certificate of registration under this Act shall be issued by the Department until the applicant provides the Department with satisfactory security, if required, as herein provided for.

Upon receipt of the application for certificate of registration in proper form, and upon approval by the Department of the security furnished by the applicant, if required, the Department shall issue to such applicant a certificate of registration which shall permit the person to whom it is issued to engage in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State. The certificate of registration shall be conspicuously displayed at the place of business which the person so registered states in his application to be the principal place of business from which he engages in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State.

No certificate of registration issued to a taxpayer who files returns required by this Act on a monthly basis shall be valid after the expiration of 5 years from the date of its issuance or last renewal. The expiration date of a sub-certificate of registration shall be that of the certificate of registration to which the sub-certificate relates. A certificate of registration shall automatically be renewed, subject to revocation as provided by this Act, for an additional 5 years from the date of its expiration unless otherwise notified by the Department as provided by this paragraph. Where a taxpayer to whom a certificate of registration is issued under this Act is in default to the State of Illinois for delinquent returns or for moneys due under this Act or any other State tax law or municipal or county ordinance administered or enforced by the Department, the Department shall, not less than 120 days before the expiration date of such certificate of registration, give notice to the taxpayer to whom the certificate was issued of the account period of the delinquent returns, the amount of tax, penalty and interest due and owing from the taxpayer, and that the certificate of registration shall not be automatically renewed upon its expiration date unless the taxpayer, on or before the date of expiration, has filed and paid the delinquent returns or paid the defaulted amount in full. A taxpayer to whom such a notice is issued shall be deemed an applicant for renewal. The Department shall promulgate regulations establishing procedures for taxpayers who file returns on a monthly basis but desire and qualify to change to a quarterly or yearly filing basis and will no longer be subject to renewal under this Section, and for taxpayers who file returns on a yearly or quarterly basis but who desire or are required to change to a monthly filing basis and will be subject to renewal under this Section.

The Department may in its discretion approve renewal by an applicant who is in default if, at the time of application for renewal, the applicant files all of the delinquent returns or pays to the Department such percentage of the defaulted amount as may be determined by the Department and agrees in writing to waive all limitations upon the Department for collection of the remaining defaulted amount to the Department over a period not to exceed 5 years from the date of renewal of the certificate; however, no renewal application submitted by an applicant who is in default shall be approved if the immediately preceding renewal by the applicant was conditioned upon the installment payment agreement described in this Section. The payment agreement herein provided for shall be in addition to and not in lieu of the security that may be required by this Section of a taxpayer who is no longer considered a prior continuous compliance taxpayer. The execution of the payment agreement as provided in this Act shall not toll the accrual of interest at the statutory rate.

The Department may suspend a certificate of registration if the Department finds that the person to whom the certificate of registration has been issued knowingly sold contraband cigarettes.

A certificate of registration issued under this Act more than 5 years before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1989 shall expire and be subject to the renewal provisions of this Section on the next anniversary of the date of issuance of such certificate which occurs more than 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1989. A certificate of registration issued less than 5 years before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1989 shall expire and be subject to the renewal provisions of this Section on the 5th anniversary of the issuance of the certificate.

If the person so registered states that he operates other places of business from which he engages in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State, the Department shall furnish him with a sub-certificate of registration for each such place of business, and the applicant shall display the appropriate sub-certificate of registration at each such place of business. All sub-certificates of registration shall bear the same registration number as that appearing upon the certificate of registration to which such sub-certificates relate.

If the applicant will sell tangible personal property at retail through vending machines, the Department shall furnish him with a sub-certificate of registration for each such vending machine, and the applicant shall display the appropriate sub-certificate of registration on each such vending machine by attaching the sub-certificate of registration to a conspicuous part of such vending machine. If a person who is registered to sell tangible personal property at retail through vending machines adds an additional vending machine or additional vending machines to the number of vending machines he or she uses in his or her business of selling tangible personal property at retail, he or she shall notify the Department, on a form prescribed by the Department, to request an additional sub-certificate or additional sub-certificates of registration, as applicable. With each such request, the applicant shall report the number of sub-certificates of registration he or she is requesting as well as the total number of vending machines from which he or she makes retail sales.

Where the same person engages in 2 or more businesses of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State, which businesses are substantially different in character or engaged in under different trade names or engaged in under other substantially dissimilar circumstances (so that it is more practicable, from an accounting, auditing or bookkeeping standpoint, for such businesses to be separately registered), the Department may require or permit such person (subject to the same requirements concerning the furnishing of security as those that are provided for hereinbefore in this Section as to each application for a certificate of registration) to apply for and obtain a separate certificate of registration for each such business or for any of such businesses, under a single certificate of registration supplemented by related sub-certificates of registration.

Any person who is registered under the "Retailers' Occupation Tax Act" as of March 8, 1963, and who, during the 3-year period immediately prior to March 8, 1963, or during a continuous 3-year period part of which passed immediately before and the remainder of which passes immediately after March 8, 1963, has been so registered continuously and who is determined by the Department not to have been either delinquent or deficient in the payment of tax liability during that period under this Act or under any other State tax law or municipal or county tax ordinance or resolution under which the certificate of registration that is issued to the registrant under this Act will permit the registrant to engage in business without registering separately under such other law, ordinance or resolution, shall be considered to be a Prior Continuous Compliance taxpayer. Also any taxpayer who has, as verified by the Department, faithfully and continuously complied with the condition of his bond or other security under the provisions of this Act for a period of 3 consecutive years shall be considered to be a Prior Continuous Compliance taxpayer.

Every Prior Continuous Compliance taxpayer shall be exempt from all requirements under this Act concerning the furnishing of a bond or other security as a condition precedent to his being authorized to engage in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State. This exemption shall continue for each such taxpayer until such time as he may be determined by the Department to be delinquent in the filing of any returns, or is determined by the Department (either through the Department's issuance of a final assessment which has become final under the Act, or by the taxpayer's filing of a return which admits tax that is not paid to be due) to be delinquent or deficient in the paying of any tax under this Act or under any other State tax law or municipal or county tax ordinance or resolution under which the certificate of registration that is issued to the registrant under this Act will permit the registrant to engage in business without registering separately under such other law, ordinance or resolution, at which time that taxpayer shall become subject to all the financial responsibility requirements of this Act and, as a condition of being allowed to continue to engage in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail, may be required to post bond or other acceptable security with the Department covering liability which such taxpayer may thereafter incur. Any taxpayer who fails to pay an admitted or established liability under this Act may also be required to post bond or other acceptable security with this Department guaranteeing the payment of such admitted or established liability.

No certificate of registration shall be issued to any person who is in default to the State of Illinois for moneys due under this Act or under any other State tax law or municipal or county tax ordinance or resolution under which the certificate of registration that is issued to the applicant under this Act will permit the applicant to engage in business without registering separately under such other law, ordinance or resolution.

Any person aggrieved by any decision of the Department under this Section may, within 20 days after notice of such decision, protest and request a hearing, whereupon the Department shall give notice to such person of the time and place fixed for such hearing and shall hold a hearing in conformity with the provisions of this Act and then issue its final administrative decision in the matter to such person. In the absence of such a protest within 20 days, the Department's decision shall become final without any further determination being made or notice given.

With respect to security other than bonds (upon which the Department may sue in the event of a forfeiture), if the taxpayer fails to pay, when due, any amount whose payment such security guarantees, the Department shall, after such liability is admitted by the taxpayer or established by the Department through the issuance of a final assessment that has become final under the law, convert the security which that taxpayer has furnished into money for the State, after first giving the taxpayer at least 10 days' written notice, by registered or certified mail, to pay the liability or forfeit such security to the Department. If the security consists of stocks or bonds or other securities which are listed on a public exchange, the Department shall sell such securities through such public exchange. If the security consists of an irrevocable bank letter of credit, the Department shall convert the security in the manner provided for in the Uniform Commercial Code. If the security consists of a bank certificate of deposit, the Department shall convert the security into money by demanding and collecting the amount of such bank certificate of deposit from the bank which issued such certificate. If the security consists of a type of stocks or other securities which are not listed on a public exchange, the Department shall sell such security to the highest and best bidder after giving at least 10 days' notice of the date, time and place of the intended sale by publication in the "State Official Newspaper". If the Department realizes more than the amount of such liability from the security, plus the expenses incurred by the Department in converting the security into money, the Department shall pay such excess to the taxpayer who furnished such security, and the balance shall be paid into the State Treasury.

The Department shall discharge any surety and shall release and return any security deposited, assigned, pledged or otherwise provided to it by a taxpayer under this Section within 30 days after:

(1) such taxpayer becomes a Prior Continuous Compliance taxpayer; or

(2) such taxpayer has ceased to collect receipts on which he is required to remit tax to the Department, has filed a final tax return, and has paid to the Department an amount sufficient to discharge his remaining tax liability, as determined by the Department, under this Act and under every other State tax law or municipal or county tax ordinance or resolution under which the certificate of registration issued under this Act permits the registrant to engage in business without registering separately under such other law, ordinance or resolution. The Department shall make a final determination of the taxpayer's outstanding tax liability as expeditiously as possible after his final tax return has been filed; if the Department cannot make such final determination within 45 days after receiving the final tax return, within such period it shall so notify the taxpayer, stating its reasons therefor.

(Source: P.A. 96-1355, eff. 7-28-10; 97-335, eff. 1-1-12.)