HB1433 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB099 06483 HLH 26555 b

99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HB1433

Introduced , by Rep. Jack D. Franks

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

35 ILCS 10/5-5
35 ILCS 10/5-15
35 ILCS 10/5-20
35 ILCS 10/5-50
35 ILCS 5/917	from Ch. 120, par. 9-917

Amends the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. Provides that, for agreements entered into on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, no Taxpayer may elect to apply the credit against its withholding tax liability unless certain conditions are met. Provides that each application for credits must contain an affidavit signed by the Taxpayer's chief executive officer or chief financial officer, or an individual holding an equivalent position, stating that, but for the Credit, the Taxpayer would not locate the project in the State. Requires the Department to post the taxpayer's tax information on its website. In the case of all EDGE credits, provides that, if the Applicant's project includes retained employees, the Credit may also include an amount agreed to between the Department and the Applicant based on the severity of the poverty or unemployment in the geographic area in which the Applicant's project is located or the retained employees reside. Provides that that amount may not be more than 40% of the total amount withheld from the compensation of retained employees. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to allow the Department of Revenue to provide information to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for the purpose of confirming the tax information submitted by the Taxpayer. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning revenue.

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

Section 5. The Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act is amended by changing Sections 5-5, 5-15, 5-20, and 5-50 as follows:

(35 ILCS 10/5-5)

Sec. 5-5. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Agreement" means the Agreement between a Taxpayer and the Department under the provisions of Section 5-50 of this Act.

"Applicant" means a Taxpayer that is operating a business located or that the Taxpayer plans to locate within the State of Illinois and that is engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce for the purpose of manufacturing, processing, assembling, warehousing, or distributing products, conducting research and development, providing tourism services, or providing services in interstate commerce, office industries, or agricultural processing, but excluding retail, retail food, health, or professional services. "Applicant" does not include a Taxpayer who closes or substantially reduces an operation at one location in the State and relocates substantially the same operation to another location in the State. This does not prohibit a Taxpayer from expanding its operations at another location in the State, provided that existing operations of a similar nature located within the State are not closed or substantially reduced. This also does not prohibit a Taxpayer from moving its operations from one location in the State to another location in the State for the purpose of expanding the operation provided that the Department determines that expansion cannot reasonably be accommodated within the municipality in which the business is located, or in the case of a business located in an incorporated area of the county, within the county in which the business is located, after conferring with the chief elected official of the municipality or county and taking into consideration any evidence offered by the municipality or county regarding the ability to accommodate expansion within the municipality or county.

"Committee" means the Illinois Business Investment Committee created under Section 5-25 of this Act within the Illinois Economic Development Board.

"Credit" means the amount agreed to between the Department and Applicant under this Act, but not to exceed the Incremental Income Tax attributable to the Applicant's project. However, if the Applicant's project includes retained employees, then the amount of the Credit may also include an amount agreed to between the Department and the Applicant based on the severity of the poverty or unemployment in the geographic area in which the Applicant's project is located or the retained employees reside. That amount may not be more than 40% of the total amount withheld during the taxable year under Article 7 of the Illinois Income Tax Act from the compensation of retained employees. For the purposes of this definition, "retained employee" means a full-time employee of the Applicant who is employed at the project location and whose job is identified in the application as being at risk of being relocated outside of Illinois if the Applicant does not receive a credit under this Act.

"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"Director" means the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"Full-time Employee" means an individual who is employed for consideration for at least 35 hours each week or who renders any other standard of service generally accepted by industry custom or practice as full-time employment. An individual for whom a W-2 is issued by a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) is a full-time employee if employed in the service of the Applicant for consideration for at least 35 hours each week or who renders any other standard of service generally accepted by industry custom or practice as full-time employment to Applicant.

"Geographic area of high poverty or high unemployment" means a census tract in which more than 20% of the residents live below the poverty level, as determined by the most recent data from the United States Census Bureau, or the average unemployment rate for that census tract exceeds the average unemployment rate for the State by 3% or more.

"Incremental Income Tax" means the total amount withheld during the taxable year from the compensation of New Employees under Article 7 of the Illinois Income Tax Act arising from employment at a project that is the subject of an Agreement.

"New Employee" means:

(a) A Full-time Employee first employed by a Taxpayer in the project that is the subject of an Agreement and who is hired after the Taxpayer enters into the tax credit Agreement.

(b) The term "New Employee" does not include:

(1) an employee of the Taxpayer who performs a job that was previously performed by another employee, if that job existed for at least 6 months before hiring the employee;

(2) an employee of the Taxpayer who was previously employed in Illinois by a Related Member of the Taxpayer and whose employment was shifted to the Taxpayer after the Taxpayer entered into the tax credit Agreement; or

(3) a child, grandchild, parent, or spouse, other than a spouse who is legally separated from the individual, of any individual who has a direct or an indirect ownership interest of at least 5% in the profits, capital, or value of the Taxpayer.

(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subsection (b), an employee may be considered a New Employee under the Agreement if the employee performs a job that was previously performed by an employee who was:

(1) treated under the Agreement as a New Employee; and

(2) promoted by the Taxpayer to another job.

(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Department may award Credit to an Applicant with respect to an employee hired prior to the date of the Agreement if:

(1) the Applicant is in receipt of a letter from the Department stating an intent to enter into a credit Agreement;

(2) the letter described in paragraph (1) is issued by the Department not later than 15 days after the effective date of this Act; and

(3) the employee was hired after the date the letter described in paragraph (1) was issued.

"Noncompliance Date" means, in the case of a Taxpayer that is not complying with the requirements of the Agreement or the provisions of this Act, the day following the last date upon which the Taxpayer was in compliance with the requirements of the Agreement and the provisions of this Act, as determined by the Director, pursuant to Section 5-65.

"Pass Through Entity" means an entity that is exempt from the tax under subsection (b) or (c) of Section 205 of the Illinois Income Tax Act.

"Professional Employer Organization" (PEO) means an employee leasing company, as defined in Section 206.1(A)(2) of the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act.

"Related Member" means a person that, with respect to the Taxpayer during any portion of the taxable year, is any one of the following:

(1) An individual stockholder, if the stockholder and the members of the stockholder's family (as defined in Section 318 of the Internal Revenue Code) own directly, indirectly, beneficially, or constructively, in the aggregate, at least 50% of the value of the Taxpayer's outstanding stock.

(2) A partnership, estate, or trust and any partner or beneficiary, if the partnership, estate, or trust, and its partners or beneficiaries own directly, indirectly, beneficially, or constructively, in the aggregate, at least 50% of the profits, capital, stock, or value of the Taxpayer.

(3) A corporation, and any party related to the corporation in a manner that would require an attribution of stock from the corporation to the party or from the party to the corporation under the attribution rules of Section 318 of the Internal Revenue Code, if the Taxpayer owns directly, indirectly, beneficially, or constructively at least 50% of the value of the corporation's outstanding stock.

(4) A corporation and any party related to that corporation in a manner that would require an attribution of stock from the corporation to the party or from the party to the corporation under the attribution rules of Section 318 of the Internal Revenue Code, if the corporation and all such related parties own in the aggregate at least 50% of the profits, capital, stock, or value of the Taxpayer.

(5) A person to or from whom there is attribution of stock ownership in accordance with Section 1563(e) of the Internal Revenue Code, except, for purposes of determining whether a person is a Related Member under this paragraph, 20% shall be substituted for 5% wherever 5% appears in Section 1563(e) of the Internal Revenue Code.

"Taxpayer" means an individual, corporation, partnership, or other entity that has any Illinois Income Tax liability.

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06; 95-375, eff. 8-23-07.)

(35 ILCS 10/5-15)

Sec. 5-15. Tax Credit Awards. Subject to the conditions set forth in this Act, a Taxpayer is entitled to a Credit against or, as described in subsection (g) of this Section, a payment towards taxes imposed pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act that may be imposed on the Taxpayer for a taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 1999, if the Taxpayer is awarded a Credit by the Department under this Act for that taxable year.

(a) The Department shall make Credit awards under this Act to foster job creation and retention in Illinois.

(b) A person that proposes a project to create new jobs in Illinois must enter into an Agreement with the Department for the Credit under this Act.

(c) The Credit shall be claimed for the taxable years specified in the Agreement.

(d) The Credit shall not exceed the Incremental Income Tax attributable to the project that is the subject of the Agreement.

(e) Nothing herein shall prohibit a Tax Credit Award to an Applicant that uses a PEO if all other award criteria are satisfied.

(f) Subject to the requirements of paragraph (5) of this subsection (f), in In lieu of the Credit allowed under this Act against the taxes imposed pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act for any taxable year ending on or after December 31, 2009, the Taxpayer may elect to claim the Credit against its obligation to pay over withholding under Section 704A of the Illinois Income Tax Act.

(1) The election under this subsection (f) may be made only by a Taxpayer that (i) is primarily engaged in one of the following business activities: water purification and treatment, motor vehicle metal stamping, automobile manufacturing, automobile and light duty motor vehicle manufacturing, motor vehicle manufacturing, light truck and utility vehicle manufacturing, heavy duty truck manufacturing, motor vehicle body manufacturing, cable television infrastructure design or manufacturing, or wireless telecommunication or computing terminal device design or manufacturing for use on public networks and (ii) meets the following criteria:

(A) the Taxpayer (i) had an Illinois net loss or an Illinois net loss deduction under Section 207 of the Illinois Income Tax Act for the taxable year in which the Credit is awarded, (ii) employed a minimum of 1,000 full-time employees in this State during the taxable year in which the Credit is awarded, (iii) has an Agreement under this Act on December 14, 2009 (the effective date of Public Act 96-834), and (iv) is in compliance with all provisions of that Agreement;

(B) the Taxpayer (i) had an Illinois net loss or an Illinois net loss deduction under Section 207 of the Illinois Income Tax Act for the taxable year in which the Credit is awarded, (ii) employed a minimum of 1,000 full-time employees in this State during the taxable year in which the Credit is awarded, and (iii) has applied for an Agreement within 365 days after December 14, 2009 (the effective date of Public Act 96-834);

(C) the Taxpayer (i) had an Illinois net operating loss carryforward under Section 207 of the Illinois Income Tax Act in a taxable year ending during calendar year 2008, (ii) has applied for an Agreement within 150 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, (iii) creates at least 400 new jobs in Illinois, (iv) retains at least 2,000 jobs in Illinois that would have been at risk of relocation out of Illinois over a 10-year period, and (v) makes a capital investment of at least $75,000,000;

(D) the Taxpayer (i) had an Illinois net operating loss carryforward under Section 207 of the Illinois Income Tax Act in a taxable year ending during calendar year 2009, (ii) has applied for an Agreement within 150 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, (iii) creates at least 150 new jobs, (iv) retains at least 1,000 jobs in Illinois that would have been at risk of relocation out of Illinois over a 10-year period, and (v) makes a capital investment of at least $57,000,000; or

(E) the Taxpayer (i) employed at least 2,500 full-time employees in the State during the year in which the Credit is awarded, (ii) commits to make at least $500,000,000 in combined capital improvements and project costs under the Agreement, (iii) applies for an Agreement between January 1, 2011 and June 30, 2011, (iv) executes an Agreement for the Credit during calendar year 2011, and (v) was incorporated no more than 5 years before the filing of an application for an Agreement.

(1.5) The election under this subsection (f) may also be made by a Taxpayer for any Credit awarded pursuant to an agreement that was executed between January 1, 2011 and June 30, 2011, if the Taxpayer (i) is primarily engaged in the manufacture of inner tubes or tires, or both, from natural and synthetic rubber, (ii) employs a minimum of 2,400 full-time employees in Illinois at the time of application, (iii) creates at least 350 full-time jobs and retains at least 250 full-time jobs in Illinois that would have been at risk of being created or retained outside of Illinois, and (iv) makes a capital investment of at least $200,000,000 at the project location.

(1.6) The election under this subsection (f) may also be made by a Taxpayer for any Credit awarded pursuant to an agreement that was executed within 150 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, if the Taxpayer (i) is primarily engaged in the operation of a discount department store, (ii) maintains its corporate headquarters in Illinois, (iii) employs a minimum of 4,250 full-time employees at its corporate headquarters in Illinois at the time of application, (iv) retains at least 4,250 full-time jobs in Illinois that would have been at risk of being relocated outside of Illinois, (v) had a minimum of $40,000,000,000 in total revenue in 2010, and (vi) makes a capital investment of at least $300,000,000 at the project location.

(1.7) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the election under this subsection (f) may also be made by a Taxpayer for any Credit awarded pursuant to an agreement that was executed or applied for on or after July 1, 2011 and on or before March 31, 2012, if the Taxpayer is primarily engaged in the manufacture of original and aftermarket filtration parts and products for automobiles, motor vehicles, light duty motor vehicles, light trucks and utility vehicles, and heavy duty trucks, (ii) employs a minimum of 1,000 full-time employees in Illinois at the time of application, (iii) creates at least 250 full-time jobs in Illinois, (iv) relocates its corporate headquarters to Illinois from another state, and (v) makes a capital investment of at least $4,000,000 at the project location.

(2) An election under this subsection shall allow the credit to be taken against payments otherwise due under Section 704A of the Illinois Income Tax Act during the first calendar year beginning after the end of the taxable year in which the credit is awarded under this Act.

(3) The election shall be made in the form and manner required by the Illinois Department of Revenue and, once made, shall be irrevocable.

(4) If a Taxpayer who meets the requirements of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (f) elects to claim the Credit against its withholdings as provided in this subsection (f), then, on and after the date of the election, the terms of the Agreement between the Taxpayer and the Department may not be further amended during the term of the Agreement.

(5) With respect to Agreements entered into on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly, no Taxpayer may make an election under this subsection (f) unless all of the following conditions are met:

(A) The General Assembly authorizes that election by law.

(B) The Taxpayer applies with the Department for a Credit prior to the date the General Assembly authorizes the election.

(C) The Taxpayer (i) agrees to hire a specified number of New Employees at a project location in a geographic area of high poverty or high unemployment or (ii) agrees to hire a specified number of New Employees at least 65% of whom reside in a geographic area of high poverty or high unemployment; the number of New Employees hired under item (ii) shall be verified annually by the Department through payroll information submitted by the Taxpayer; for the purposes of this subparagraph (C), an employee who is retained by the Taxpayer is not considered a New Employee.

(D) The Taxpayer files a statement with the Department at the time of the application for the Credit containing the following information from the Taxpayer's Illinois income tax return for the 2 years immediately preceding the date of the application; in addition, the Taxpayer shall file an additional statement with the Department containing the same information for the first taxable year with respect to which an election is made under this subsection (f) and for each subsequent tax year covered by the Agreement:

(i) the Taxpayer's base income, as calculated under Section 203 of the Illinois Income Tax Act;

(ii) the apportionment factor to the State for the Taxpayer;

(iii) the total business income of the Taxpayer apportioned to the State;

(iv) the Illinois net operating loss deduction for the Taxpayer, if any;

(v) the total non-business income of the Taxpayer and the amount of the Taxpayer's non-business income allocated to the State;

(vi) the net income of the Taxpayer;

(vii) the Taxpayer's total State income tax liability before credits;

(viii) the Taxpayer's net income tax liability;

(ix) the Taxpayer's total personal property tax replacement tax liability before credits;

(x) the Taxpayer's net personal property tax replacement tax liability; and

(xi) tax credits claimed by the Taxpayer, with each credit individually enumerated.

Each additional statement required under this subparagraph (D) for a taxable year shall be filed no later than the earlier of 30 days after (i) the Taxpayer files its Illinois income tax return for that taxable year, (ii) the due date (including extensions) for the filing of that return, or (iii) in the case of the additional statement covering the taxable year in which an election is made, the date the election is made under this subsection (f).

(E) The Taxpayer files a statement with the Department reporting any changes to the information required to be reported under subparagraph (D) that were reported by the Taxpayer on an amended return for the taxable year or that were made by the Department of Revenue; the report required under this subparagraph (E) must be filed within 30 days after the Taxpayer files the amended return or within 30 days after the date on which all proceedings in court for review of the changes made by the Department of Revenue have terminated or the time for taking thereof has expired without such proceedings being instituted.

(F) The Agreement includes a consent by the Taxpayer to allow the Department to confirm with the Department of Revenue the accuracy of the information required to be reported under subparagraphs (D) and (E).

(g) A pass-through entity that has been awarded a credit under this Act, its shareholders, or its partners may treat some or all of the credit awarded pursuant to this Act as a tax payment for purposes of the Illinois Income Tax Act. The term "tax payment" means a payment as described in Article 6 or Article 8 of the Illinois Income Tax Act or a composite payment made by a pass-through entity on behalf of any of its shareholders or partners to satisfy such shareholders' or partners' taxes imposed pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act. In no event shall the amount of the award credited pursuant to this Act exceed the Illinois income tax liability of the pass-through entity or its shareholders or partners for the taxable year.

(Source: P.A. 96-834, eff. 12-14-09; 96-836, eff. 12-16-09; 96-905, eff. 6-4-10; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10; 96-1534, eff. 3-4-11; 97-2, eff. 5-6-11; 97-636, eff. 6-1-12.)

(35 ILCS 10/5-20)

Sec. 5-20. Application for a project to create and retain new jobs.

(a) Any Taxpayer proposing a project located or planned to be located in Illinois may request consideration for designation of its project, by formal written letter of request or by formal application to the Department, in which the Applicant states its intent to make at least a specified level of investment and intends to hire or retain a specified number of full-time employees at a designated location in Illinois. As circumstances require, the Department may require a formal application from an Applicant and a formal letter of request for assistance. Each application must contain an affidavit signed by the Taxpayer's chief executive officer or chief financial officer, or an individual holding an equivalent position in the organization, stating that, but for the Credit, the Taxpayer would not locate the project in the State.

(b) In order to qualify for Credits under this Act, an Applicant's project must:

(1) except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), involve an investment of at least $5,000,000 in capital improvements to be placed in service and to employ at least 25 New Employees within the State as a direct result of the project;

(2) involve an investment of at least an amount (to be expressly specified by the Department and the Committee) in capital improvements to be placed in service and will employ at least an amount (to be expressly specified by the Department and the Committee) of New Employees within the State, provided that the Department and the Committee have determined that the project will provide a substantial economic benefit to the State; or

(3) if the applicant has 100 or fewer employees, then the applicant is not subject to the capital improvement requirements set forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection, but the applicant's project must involve an investment of at least $1,000,000 in capital improvements to be placed in service and to employ at least 5 New Employees within the State as a direct result of the project.

(c) After receipt of an application, the Department may enter into an Agreement with the Applicant if the application is accepted in accordance with Section 5-25.

(Source: P.A. 93-882, eff. 1-1-05.)

(35 ILCS 10/5-50)

Sec. 5-50. Contents of Agreements with Applicants. The Department shall enter into an Agreement with an Applicant that is awarded a Credit under this Act. The Agreement must include all of the following:

(1) A detailed description of the project that is the subject of the Agreement, including the location and amount of the investment and jobs created or retained.

(2) The duration of the Credit and the first taxable year for which the Credit may be claimed.

(3) The Credit amount that will be allowed for each taxable year.

(4) A requirement that the Taxpayer shall maintain operations at the project location that shall be stated as a minimum number of years not to exceed 10.

(5) A specific method for determining the number of New Employees employed during a taxable year.

(6) A requirement that the Taxpayer shall annually report to the Department the number of New Employees, the home addresses of any retained employees, the Incremental Income Tax withheld in connection with the New Employees and retained employees, and any other information the Director needs to perform the Director's duties under this Act.

(7) A requirement that the Director is authorized to verify with the appropriate State agencies the amounts reported under paragraph (6), and after doing so shall issue a certificate to the Taxpayer stating that the amounts have been verified.

(8) A requirement that the Taxpayer shall provide written notification to the Director not more than 30 days after the Taxpayer makes or receives a proposal that would transfer the Taxpayer's State tax liability obligations to a successor Taxpayer.

(9) A detailed description of the number of New Employees to be hired, and the occupation and payroll of the full-time jobs to be created or retained as a result of the project.

(10) The minimum investment the business enterprise will make in capital improvements, the time period for placing the property in service, and the designated location in Illinois for the investment.

(11) A requirement that the Taxpayer shall provide written notification to the Director and the Committee not more than 30 days after the Taxpayer determines that the minimum job creation or retention, employment payroll, or investment no longer is being or will be achieved or maintained as set forth in the terms and conditions of the Agreement.

(12) A provision that, if the total number of New Employees falls below a specified level, the allowance of Credit shall be suspended until the number of New Employees equals or exceeds the Agreement amount.

(13) A detailed description of the items for which the costs incurred by the Taxpayer will be included in the limitation on the Credit provided in Section 5-30.

(13.5) A provision that, if the Taxpayer never meets either the investment or job creation and retention requirements specified in the Agreement during the entire 5-year period beginning on the first day of the first taxable year in which the Agreement is executed and ending on the last day of the fifth taxable year after the Agreement is executed, then the Agreement is automatically terminated on the last day of the fifth taxable year after the Agreement is executed and the Taxpayer is not entitled to the award of any credits for any of that 5-year period.

(14) Any other performance conditions or contract provisions as the Department determines are appropriate.

The Department shall post on its website (i) the terms of each Agreement entered into under this Act on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly and (ii) the tax information provided to the Department under subparagraphs (D) and (E) of paragraph (5) of subsection (f).

(Source: P.A. 97-2, eff. 5-6-11; 97-749, eff. 7-6-12.)

Section 10. The Illinois Income Tax Act is amended by changing Section 917 as follows:

(35 ILCS 5/917) (from Ch. 120, par. 9-917)

Sec. 917. Confidentiality and information sharing.

(a) Confidentiality. Except as provided in this Section, all information received by the Department from returns filed under this Act, or from any investigation conducted under the provisions of this Act, shall be confidential, except for official purposes within the Department or pursuant to official procedures for collection of any State tax or pursuant to an investigation or audit by the Illinois State Scholarship Commission of a delinquent student loan or monetary award or enforcement of any civil or criminal penalty or sanction imposed by this Act or by another statute imposing a State tax, and any person who divulges any such information in any manner, except for such purposes and pursuant to order of the Director or in accordance with a proper judicial order, shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. However, the provisions of this paragraph are not applicable to information furnished to (i) the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly Department of Public Aid), State's Attorneys, and the Attorney General for child support enforcement purposes and (ii) a licensed attorney representing the taxpayer where an appeal or a protest has been filed on behalf of the taxpayer. If it is necessary to file information obtained pursuant to this Act in a child support enforcement proceeding, the information shall be filed under seal.

(b) Public information. Nothing contained in this Act shall prevent the Director from publishing or making available to the public the names and addresses of persons filing returns under this Act, or from publishing or making available reasonable statistics concerning the operation of the tax wherein the contents of returns are grouped into aggregates in such a way that the information contained in any individual return shall not be disclosed.

(c) Governmental agencies. The Director may make available to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States or his delegate, or the proper officer or his delegate of any other state imposing a tax upon or measured by income, for exclusively official purposes, information received by the Department in the administration of this Act, but such permission shall be granted only if the United States or such other state, as the case may be, grants the Department substantially similar privileges. The Director may exchange information with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department of Human Services (acting as successor to the Department of Public Aid under the Department of Human Services Act) for the purpose of verifying sources and amounts of income and for other purposes directly connected with the administration of this Act, the Illinois Public Aid Code, and any other health benefit program administered by the State. The Director may exchange information with the Director of the Department of Employment Security for the purpose of verifying sources and amounts of income and for other purposes directly connected with the administration of this Act and Acts administered by the Department of Employment Security. The Director may make available to the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission information regarding employers for the purpose of verifying the insurance coverage required under the Workers' Compensation Act and Workers' Occupational Diseases Act. The Director may exchange information with the Illinois Department on Aging for the purpose of verifying sources and amounts of income for purposes directly related to confirming eligibility for participation in the programs of benefits authorized by the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act.

The Director may make available to any State agency, including the Illinois Supreme Court, which licenses persons to engage in any occupation, information that a person licensed by such agency has failed to file returns under this Act or pay the tax, penalty and interest shown therein, or has failed to pay any final assessment of tax, penalty or interest due under this Act. The Director may make available to any State agency, including the Illinois Supreme Court, information regarding whether a bidder, contractor, or an affiliate of a bidder or contractor has failed to file returns under this Act or pay the tax, penalty, and interest shown therein, or has failed to pay any final assessment of tax, penalty, or interest due under this Act, for the limited purpose of enforcing bidder and contractor certifications. For purposes of this Section, the term "affiliate" means any entity that (1) directly, indirectly, or constructively controls another entity, (2) is directly, indirectly, or constructively controlled by another entity, or (3) is subject to the control of a common entity. For purposes of this subsection (a), an entity controls another entity if it owns, directly or individually, more than 10% of the voting securities of that entity. As used in this subsection (a), the term "voting security" means a security that (1) confers upon the holder the right to vote for the election of members of the board of directors or similar governing body of the business or (2) is convertible into, or entitles the holder to receive upon its exercise, a security that confers such a right to vote. A general partnership interest is a voting security.

The Director may make available to any State agency, including the Illinois Supreme Court, units of local government, and school districts, information regarding whether a bidder or contractor is an affiliate of a person who is not collecting and remitting Illinois Use taxes, for the limited purpose of enforcing bidder and contractor certifications.

The Director may also make available to the Secretary of State information that a corporation which has been issued a certificate of incorporation by the Secretary of State has failed to file returns under this Act or pay the tax, penalty and interest shown therein, or has failed to pay any final assessment of tax, penalty or interest due under this Act. An assessment is final when all proceedings in court for review of such assessment have terminated or the time for the taking thereof has expired without such proceedings being instituted. For taxable years ending on or after December 31, 1987, the Director may make available to the Director or principal officer of any Department of the State of Illinois, information that a person employed by such Department has failed to file returns under this Act or pay the tax, penalty and interest shown therein. For purposes of this paragraph, the word "Department" shall have the same meaning as provided in Section 3 of the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971.

The Director may provide information to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for the purpose of confirming information provided by a taxpayer under subparagraphs (D) and (E) of item (5) of subsection (f) of Section 5-15 of the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act if the taxpayer consents to that disclosure in the Agreement under that Act.

(d) The Director shall make available for public inspection in the Department's principal office and for publication, at cost, administrative decisions issued on or after January 1, 1995. These decisions are to be made available in a manner so that the following taxpayer information is not disclosed:

(1) The names, addresses, and identification numbers of the taxpayer, related entities, and employees.

(2) At the sole discretion of the Director, trade secrets or other confidential information identified as such by the taxpayer, no later than 30 days after receipt of an administrative decision, by such means as the Department shall provide by rule.

The Director shall determine the appropriate extent of the deletions allowed in paragraph (2). In the event the taxpayer does not submit deletions, the Director shall make only the deletions specified in paragraph (1).

The Director shall make available for public inspection and publication an administrative decision within 180 days after the issuance of the administrative decision. The term "administrative decision" has the same meaning as defined in Section 3-101 of Article III of the Code of Civil Procedure. Costs collected under this Section shall be paid into the Tax Compliance and Administration Fund.

(e) Nothing contained in this Act shall prevent the Director from divulging information to any person pursuant to a request or authorization made by the taxpayer, by an authorized representative of the taxpayer, or, in the case of information related to a joint return, by the spouse filing the joint return with the taxpayer.

(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07; 96-1501, eff. 1-25-11.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.