Budget & Taxes

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit and a credit against insurance premium taxes for business entities for the cost of providing certain commuter benefits to employees. Provides that the credit shall be equal to 50% of the cost of providing the eligible commuter benefits, but not to exceed $100 per individual employee per month. Effective immediately.

Amends the Gas Use Tax Law. Exempts certain business enterprises from taxation under the Act. Amends the Gas Revenue Tax Act. Provides that the definition of "gross receipts" does not include consideration received from certain business enterprises. Amends the Electricity Excise Tax Law. Provides that the tax under the Act is not imposed with respect to any use by the purchaser in the process of manufacturing or assembling tangible personal property for wholesale or for retail sale or lease. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that the corporate authorities of a municipality may license and regulate all commercial operations within the municipality's boundaries, whether for profit or not for profit, but may not impose any tax upon its operations except as otherwise authorized by law.

Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the End the Energy Tax Act. Amends the Public Utilities Revenue Act. Provides that provisions concerning the tax on invested capital and on distribution of electricity are repealed on January 1, 2027. Provides that provisions concerning a return with respect to the tax are repealed on January 1, 2028. Repeals provisions of the Public Utilities Act concerning energy efficiency, demand-response measures and energy efficiency analysis, and the Energy Transition Assistance Fund. Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code to make a conforming change. Repeals the Illinois Power Agency Act, the Electricity Excise Tax Law Act, and the Energy Assistance Act. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the Legislative Reference Bureau shall prepare for introduction in the 2027 spring session of the General Assembly a bill effecting such changes in the statutes as may be necessary to conform the statutes to the changes in law made by the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.

HB 4171 amends the Sports Wagering Act to remove the ability of local governments, known as home rule units, to regulate, license, or tax sports wagering activities within their jurisdictions. This means that local municipalities can no longer impose their own rules or fees on sports betting operations. The bill centralizes the authority over sports wagering at the state level. It is effective immediately upon becoming law.

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Provides that, for persons dying on or after January 1, 2026, the exclusion amount shall be the applicable exclusion amount calculated under Section 2010 of the Internal Revenue Code as that Section exists on the effective date of the amendatory Act, including the inflation adjustment and including any deceased spousal unused exclusion amount (currently, the exclusion amount for Illinois estate tax purposes is $4,000,000). Effective immediately.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Creates an exemption for equipment and materials placed in service on or after January 1, 2026 that are incorporated into or used in the business of providing broadband services. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may certify a taxpayer for an exemption from any State or local use tax or retailers' occupation tax on building materials that will be incorporated into real estate at a megaproject site. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that a retailer that makes a qualified sale of building materials to be incorporated into real estate at a megaproject site may deduct the receipts from such sales when calculating the taxes imposed by those Acts. Amends the Property Tax Code. Creates the Megaproject Assessment Freeze and Payment Law. Provides that a "megaproject" is a project that meets certain investment and job creation specifications. Provides that the megaproject property is eligible for an assessment freeze. Provides that megaproject property may be granted an abatement. Provides that a company that operates a megaproject shall enter into an agreement with the municipality in which the project is located and other local taxing districts to make certain special payments. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Provides that, for persons dying on or after January 1, 2026, if a valid election has been made under the Internal Revenue Code allowing a person to take into account a federal deceased spousal unused exclusion amount for the purposes of calculating the person's federal estate tax, then the person's Illinois exclusion amount shall include the Illinois deceased spousal unused exclusion amount for the deceased spouse with respect to whom the federal election was made. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that certain homestead property that is owned by a person who will be 67 years of age or older during the taxable year is exempt from property taxes levied by a school district. Effective immediately.