Public Act 099-0164
 
SB0780 EnrolledLRB099 06575 HLH 26648 b

    AN ACT concerning revenue.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Property Tax Code is amended by changing
Section 15-175 as follows:
 
    (35 ILCS 200/15-175)
    Sec. 15-175. General homestead exemption.
    (a) Except as provided in Sections 15-176 and 15-177,
homestead property is entitled to an annual homestead exemption
limited, except as described here with relation to
cooperatives, to a reduction in the equalized assessed value of
homestead property equal to the increase in equalized assessed
value for the current assessment year above the equalized
assessed value of the property for 1977, up to the maximum
reduction set forth below. If however, the 1977 equalized
assessed value upon which taxes were paid is subsequently
determined by local assessing officials, the Property Tax
Appeal Board, or a court to have been excessive, the equalized
assessed value which should have been placed on the property
for 1977 shall be used to determine the amount of the
exemption.
    (b) Except as provided in Section 15-176, the maximum
reduction before taxable year 2004 shall be $4,500 in counties
with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants and $3,500 in all other
counties. Except as provided in Sections 15-176 and 15-177, for
taxable years 2004 through 2007, the maximum reduction shall be
$5,000, for taxable year 2008, the maximum reduction is $5,500,
and, for taxable years 2009 through 2011, the maximum reduction
is $6,000 in all counties. For taxable years 2012 and
thereafter, the maximum reduction is $7,000 in counties with
3,000,000 or more inhabitants and $6,000 in all other counties.
If a county has elected to subject itself to the provisions of
Section 15-176 as provided in subsection (k) of that Section,
then, for the first taxable year only after the provisions of
Section 15-176 no longer apply, for owners who, for the taxable
year, have not been granted a senior citizens assessment freeze
homestead exemption under Section 15-172 or a long-time
occupant homestead exemption under Section 15-177, there shall
be an additional exemption of $5,000 for owners with a
household income of $30,000 or less.
    (c) In counties with fewer than 3,000,000 inhabitants, if,
based on the most recent assessment, the equalized assessed
value of the homestead property for the current assessment year
is greater than the equalized assessed value of the property
for 1977, the owner of the property shall automatically receive
the exemption granted under this Section in an amount equal to
the increase over the 1977 assessment up to the maximum
reduction set forth in this Section.
    (d) If in any assessment year beginning with the 2000
assessment year, homestead property has a pro-rata valuation
under Section 9-180 resulting in an increase in the assessed
valuation, a reduction in equalized assessed valuation equal to
the increase in equalized assessed value of the property for
the year of the pro-rata valuation above the equalized assessed
value of the property for 1977 shall be applied to the property
on a proportionate basis for the period the property qualified
as homestead property during the assessment year. The maximum
proportionate homestead exemption shall not exceed the maximum
homestead exemption allowed in the county under this Section
divided by 365 and multiplied by the number of days the
property qualified as homestead property.
    (e) The chief county assessment officer may, when
considering whether to grant a leasehold exemption under this
Section, require the following conditions to be met:
        (1) that a notarized application for the exemption,
    signed by both the owner and the lessee of the property,
    must be submitted each year during the application period
    in effect for the county in which the property is located;
        (2) that a copy of the lease must be filed with the
    chief county assessment officer by the owner of the
    property at the time the notarized application is
    submitted;
        (3) that the lease must expressly state that the lessee
    is liable for the payment of property taxes; and
        (4) that the lease must include the following language
    in substantially the following form:
            "Lessee shall be liable for the payment of real
        estate taxes with respect to the residence in
        accordance with the terms and conditions of Section
        15-175 of the Property Tax Code (35 ILCS 200/15-175).
        The permanent real estate index number for the premises
        is (insert number), and, according to the most recent
        property tax bill, the current amount of real estate
        taxes associated with the premises is (insert amount)
        per year. The parties agree that the monthly rent set
        forth above shall be increased or decreased pro rata
        (effective January 1 of each calendar year) to reflect
        any increase or decrease in real estate taxes. Lessee
        shall be deemed to be satisfying Lessee's liability for
        the above mentioned real estate taxes with the monthly
        rent payments as set forth above (or increased or
        decreased as set forth herein).".
    In addition, if there is a change in lessee, or if the
lessee vacates the property, then the chief county assessment
officer may require the owner of the property to notify the
chief county assessment officer of that change.
    This subsection (e) does not apply to leasehold interests
in property owned by a municipality.
    (f) "Homestead property" under this Section includes
residential property that is occupied by its owner or owners as
his or their principal dwelling place, or that is a leasehold
interest on which a single family residence is situated, which
is occupied as a residence by a person who has an ownership
interest therein, legal or equitable or as a lessee, and on
which the person is liable for the payment of property taxes.
For land improved with an apartment building owned and operated
as a cooperative or a building which is a life care facility as
defined in Section 15-170 and considered to be a cooperative
under Section 15-170, the maximum reduction from the equalized
assessed value shall be limited to the increase in the value
above the equalized assessed value of the property for 1977, up
to the maximum reduction set forth above, multiplied by the
number of apartments or units occupied by a person or persons
who is liable, by contract with the owner or owners of record,
for paying property taxes on the property and is an owner of
record of a legal or equitable interest in the cooperative
apartment building, other than a leasehold interest. For
purposes of this Section, the term "life care facility" has the
meaning stated in Section 15-170.
    "Household", as used in this Section, means the owner, the
spouse of the owner, and all persons using the residence of the
owner as their principal place of residence.
    "Household income", as used in this Section, means the
combined income of the members of a household for the calendar
year preceding the taxable year.
    "Income", as used in this Section, has the same meaning as
provided in Section 3.07 of the Senior Citizens and Disabled
Persons Property Tax Relief Act, except that "income" does not
include veteran's benefits.
    (g) In a cooperative where a homestead exemption has been
granted, the cooperative association or its management firm
shall credit the savings resulting from that exemption only to
the apportioned tax liability of the owner who qualified for
the exemption. Any person who willfully refuses to so credit
the savings shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
    (h) Where married persons maintain and reside in separate
residences qualifying as homestead property, each residence
shall receive 50% of the total reduction in equalized assessed
valuation provided by this Section.
    (i) In all counties, the assessor or chief county
assessment officer may determine the eligibility of
residential property to receive the homestead exemption and the
amount of the exemption by application, visual inspection,
questionnaire or other reasonable methods. The determination
shall be made in accordance with guidelines established by the
Department, provided that the taxpayer applying for an
additional general exemption under this Section shall submit to
the chief county assessment officer an application with an
affidavit of the applicant's total household income, age,
marital status (and, if married, the name and address of the
applicant's spouse, if known), and principal dwelling place of
members of the household on January 1 of the taxable year. The
Department shall issue guidelines establishing a method for
verifying the accuracy of the affidavits filed by applicants
under this paragraph. The applications shall be clearly marked
as applications for the Additional General Homestead
Exemption.
    (i-5) This subsection (i-5) applies to counties with
3,000,000 or more inhabitants. In the event of a sale of
homestead property, the homestead exemption shall remain in
effect for the remainder of the assessment year of the sale.
Upon receipt of a transfer declaration transmitted by the
recorder pursuant to Section 31-30 of the Real Estate Transfer
Tax Law for property receiving an exemption under this Section,
the assessor shall mail a notice and forms to the new owner of
the property providing information pertaining to the rules and
applicable filing periods for applying or reapplying for
homestead exemptions under this Code for which the property may
be eligible. If the new owner fails to apply or reapply for a
homestead exemption during the applicable filing period or the
property no longer qualifies for an existing homestead
exemption, the assessor shall cancel such exemption for any
ensuing assessment year.
    (j) In counties with fewer than 3,000,000 inhabitants, in
the event of a sale of homestead property the homestead
exemption shall remain in effect for the remainder of the
assessment year of the sale. The assessor or chief county
assessment officer may require the new owner of the property to
apply for the homestead exemption for the following assessment
year.
    (k) Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8 of the State Mandates
Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the
implementation of any mandate created by this Section.
(Source: P.A. 97-689, eff. 6-14-12; 97-1125, eff. 8-28-12;
98-7, eff. 4-23-13; 98-463, eff. 8-16-13.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.

Effective Date: 07/28/2015