(50 ILCS 45/5)

Sec. 5. Legislative declaration. It is the intent of the General Assembly that this legislation grant various rights and protections to taxpayers and tax collectors with respect to the administration and enforcement of local government tax laws. The provisions of this Act are designed to reduce the burden on both taxpayers and tax collectors by specifically providing that fair and consistent tax processes and procedures be adopted and disseminated to taxpayers at the local level while at the same time preserving local government's full authority to collect taxes lawfully due under their taxing ordinances.

This legislation also provides taxpayers a minimum level of consistency with regard to the assessment and collection of local taxes as they do business in multiple locations within this State.

The General Assembly further finds that tax systems are largely based on voluntary compliance and self-assessment and the development of understandable tax laws. Providing clear tax laws at the local level and providing all necessary due process rights in the collection and enforcement of local tax laws will only serve to improve voluntary compliance and self-assessment of local government taxes.

(Source: P.A. 91-920, eff. 1-1-01.)