35 ILCS 5/221

(35 ILCS 5/221)

Sec. 221. Rehabilitation costs; qualified historic properties; River Edge Redevelopment Zone.

(a) For taxable years that begin on or after January 1, 2012 and begin prior to January 1, 2018, there shall be allowed a tax credit against the tax imposed by subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of this Act in an amount equal to 25% of qualified expenditures incurred by a qualified taxpayer during the taxable year in the restoration and preservation of a qualified historic structure located in a River Edge Redevelopment Zone pursuant to a qualified rehabilitation plan, provided that the total amount of such expenditures (i) must equal $5,000 or more and (ii) must exceed 50% of the purchase price of the property.

(a-1) For taxable years that begin on or after January 1, 2018 and end prior to January 1, 2027, there shall be allowed a tax credit against the tax imposed by subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of this Act in an aggregate amount equal to 25% of qualified expenditures incurred by a qualified taxpayer in the restoration and preservation of a qualified historic structure located in a River Edge Redevelopment Zone pursuant to a qualified rehabilitation plan, provided that the total amount of such expenditures must (i) equal $5,000 or more and (ii) exceed the adjusted basis of the qualified historic structure on the first day the qualified rehabilitation plan begins. For any rehabilitation project, regardless of duration or number of phases, the project's compliance with the foregoing provisions (i) and (ii) shall be determined based on the aggregate amount of qualified expenditures for the entire project and may include expenditures incurred under subsection (a), this subsection, or both subsection (a) and this subsection. If the qualified rehabilitation plan spans multiple years, the aggregate credit for the entire project shall be allowed in the last taxable year, except for phased rehabilitation projects, which may receive credits upon completion of each phase. Before obtaining the first phased credit: (A) the total amount of such expenditures must meet the requirements of provisions (i) and (ii) of this subsection; (B) the rehabilitated portion of the qualified historic structure must be placed in service; and (C) the requirements of subsection (b) must be met.

(a-2) For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2021 and ending prior to January 1, 2027, there shall be allowed a tax credit against the tax imposed by subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 as provided in Section 10-10.3 of the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Act. The credit allowed under this subsection (a-2) shall apply only to taxpayers that make a capital investment of at least $1,000,000 in a qualified rehabilitation plan.

The credit or credits may not reduce the taxpayer's liability to less than zero. If the amount of the credit or credits exceeds the taxpayer's liability, the excess may be carried forward and applied against the taxpayer's liability in succeeding calendar years in the manner provided under paragraph (4) of Section 211 of this Act. The credit or credits shall be applied to the earliest year for which there is a tax liability. If there are credits from more than one taxable year that are available to offset a liability, the earlier credit shall be applied first.

For partners, shareholders of Subchapter S corporations, and owners of limited liability companies, if the liability company is treated as a partnership for the purposes of federal and State income taxation, there shall be allowed a credit under this Section to be determined in accordance with the determination of income and distributive share of income under Sections 702 and 704 and Subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code.

The total aggregate amount of credits awarded under the Blue Collar Jobs Act (Article 20 of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly) shall not exceed $20,000,000 in any State fiscal year.

(b) To obtain a tax credit pursuant to this Section, the taxpayer must apply with the Department of Natural Resources. The Department of Natural Resources shall determine the amount of eligible rehabilitation costs and expenses in addition to the amount of the River Edge construction jobs credit within 45 days of receipt of a complete application. The taxpayer must submit a certification of costs prepared by an independent certified public accountant that certifies (i) the project expenses, (ii) whether those expenses are qualified expenditures, and (iii) that the qualified expenditures exceed the adjusted basis of the qualified historic structure on the first day the qualified rehabilitation plan commenced. The Department of Natural Resources is authorized, but not required, to accept this certification of costs to determine the amount of qualified expenditures and the amount of the credit. The Department of Natural Resources shall provide guidance as to the minimum standards to be followed in the preparation of such certification. The Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service shall determine whether the rehabilitation is consistent with the United States Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.

(b-1) Upon completion of the project and approval of the complete application, the Department of Natural Resources shall issue a single certificate in the amount of the eligible credits equal to 25% of qualified expenditures incurred during the eligible taxable years, as defined in subsections (a) and (a-1), excepting any credits awarded under subsection (a) prior to January 1, 2019 (the effective date of Public Act 100-629) and any phased credits issued prior to the eligible taxable year under subsection (a-1). At the time the certificate is issued, an issuance fee up to the maximum amount of 2% of the amount of the credits issued by the certificate may be collected from the applicant to administer the provisions of this Section. If collected, this issuance fee shall be deposited into the Historic Property Administrative Fund, a special fund created in the State treasury. Subject to appropriation, moneys in the Historic Property Administrative Fund shall be provided to the Department of Natural Resources as reimbursement for the costs associated with administering this Section.

(c) The taxpayer must attach the certificate to the tax return on which the credits are to be claimed. The tax credit under this Section may not reduce the taxpayer's liability to less than zero. If the amount of the credit exceeds the tax liability for the year, the excess credit may be carried forward and applied to the tax liability of the 5 taxable years following the excess credit year.

(c-1) Subject to appropriation, moneys in the Historic Property Administrative Fund shall be used, on a biennial basis beginning at the end of the second fiscal year after January 1, 2019 (the effective date of Public Act 100-629), to hire a qualified third party to prepare a biennial report to assess the overall economic impact to the State from the qualified rehabilitation projects under this Section completed in that year and in previous years. The overall economic impact shall include at least: (1) the direct and indirect or induced economic impacts of completed projects; (2) temporary, permanent, and construction jobs created; (3) sales, income, and property tax generation before, during construction, and after completion; and (4) indirect neighborhood impact after completion. The report shall be submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly. The report to the General Assembly shall be filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate in electronic form only, in the manner that the Clerk and the Secretary shall direct.

(c-2) The Department of Natural Resources may adopt rules to implement this Section in addition to the rules expressly authorized in this Section.

(d) As used in this Section, the following terms have the following meanings.

"Phased rehabilitation" means a project that is completed in phases, as defined under Section 47 of the federal Internal Revenue Code and pursuant to National Park Service regulations at 36 C.F.R. 67.

"Placed in service" means the date when the property is placed in a condition or state of readiness and availability for a specifically assigned function as defined under Section 47 of the federal Internal Revenue Code and federal Treasury Regulation Sections 1.46 and 1.48.

"Qualified expenditure" means all the costs and expenses defined as qualified rehabilitation expenditures under Section 47 of the federal Internal Revenue Code that were incurred in connection with a qualified historic structure.

"Qualified historic structure" means a certified historic structure as defined under Section 47(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code.

"Qualified rehabilitation plan" means a project that is approved by the Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service as being consistent with the United States Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.

"Qualified taxpayer" means the owner of the qualified historic structure or any other person who qualifies for the federal rehabilitation credit allowed by Section 47 of the federal Internal Revenue Code with respect to that qualified historic structure. Partners, shareholders of subchapter S corporations, and owners of limited liability companies (if the limited liability company is treated as a partnership for purposes of federal and State income taxation) are entitled to a credit under this Section to be determined in accordance with the determination of income and distributive share of income under Sections 702 and 703 and subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code, provided that credits granted to a partnership, a limited liability company taxed as a partnership, or other multiple owners of property shall be passed through to the partners, members, or owners respectively on a pro rata basis or pursuant to an executed agreement among the partners, members, or owners documenting any alternate distribution method.

(Source: P.A. 101-9, eff. 6-5-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 102-16, eff. 6-17-21.)