HB1985 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 08506 BDD 28687 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB1985

Introduced 2/26/2007, by Rep. Frank J. Mautino

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

35 ILCS 120/2a	from Ch. 120, par. 441a
35 ILCS 130/4	from Ch. 120, par. 453.4
35 ILCS 135/4	from Ch. 120, par. 453.34
235 ILCS 5/8-2	from Ch. 43, par. 159

Amends the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, the Cigarette Tax Act, the Cigarette Use Tax Act, and the Liquor Control Act of 1934. Authorizes the Department of Revenue to waive bond requirements for certain licensees under those Acts if the Department determines that the costs of administering and enforcing the bond requirements exceed the amount likely to be recovered from the bonds. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

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 Retailers' Occupation Tax Act is amended by changing Section 2a as follows:

(35 ILCS 120/2a) (from Ch. 120, par. 441a)

Sec. 2a. It is unlawful for any person to engage in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State without a certificate of registration from the Department. Application for a certificate of registration shall be made to the Department upon forms furnished by it. Each such application shall be signed and verified and shall state: (1) the name and social security number of the applicant; (2) the address of his principal place of business; (3) the address of the principal place of business from which he engages in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State and the addresses of all other places of business, if any (enumerating such addresses, if any, in a separate list attached to and made a part of the application), from which he engages in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State; (4) the name and address of the person or persons who will be responsible for filing returns and payment of taxes due under this Act; (5) in the case of a corporation, the name, title, and social security number of each corporate officer; (6) in the case of a limited liability company, the name, social security number, and FEIN number of each manager and member; and (7) such other information as the Department may reasonably require. The application shall contain an acceptance of responsibility signed by the person or persons who will be responsible for filing returns and payment of the taxes due under this Act. If the applicant will sell tangible personal property at retail through vending machines, his application to register shall indicate the number of vending machines to be so operated; and thereafter, he shall notify the Department by January 31 of the number of vending machines which such person was using in his business of selling tangible personal property at retail on the preceding December 31.

The Department may deny a certificate of registration to any applicant if the owner, any partner, any manager or member of a limited liability company, or a corporate officer of the applicant, is or has been the owner, a partner, a manager or member of a limited liability company, or a corporate officer, of another retailer that is in default for moneys due under this Act.

The Department may require every Every applicant for a certificate of registration hereunder shall, at the time of filing such application, furnish a bond from a surety company authorized to do business in the State of Illinois, or an irrevocable bank letter of credit or a bond signed by 2 personal sureties who have filed, with the Department, sworn statements disclosing net assets equal to at least 3 times the amount of the bond to be required of such applicant, or a bond secured by an assignment of a bank account or certificate of deposit, stocks or bonds, conditioned upon the applicant paying to the State of Illinois all moneys becoming due under this Act and under any other State tax law or municipal or county tax ordinance or resolution under which the certificate of registration that is issued to the applicant under this Act will permit the applicant to engage in business without registering separately under such other law, ordinance or resolution. In making a determination as to whether to require a bond or other security and The Department shall fix the amount of such security in each case, the Department shall take taking into consideration the amount of money expected to become due from the applicant under this Act and under any other State tax law or municipal or county tax ordinance or resolution under which the certificate of registration that is issued to the applicant under this Act will permit the applicant to engage in business without registering separately under such other law, ordinance or resolution. The amount of security required by the Department shall be such as, in its opinion, will protect the State of Illinois against failure to pay the amount which may become due from the applicant under this Act and under any other State tax law or municipal or county tax ordinance or resolution under which the certificate of registration that is issued to the applicant under this Act will permit the applicant to engage in business without registering separately under such other law, ordinance or resolution, but the amount of the security required by the Department shall not exceed three times the amount of the applicant's average monthly tax liability, or $50,000.00, whichever amount is lower. The Department may waive the bond or other security requirement if it determines that the administrative costs to the State associated with administering and enforcing the bond or other security provisions of this Section exceed the amount that is likely to be recovered from the bonds or other security.

No certificate of registration under this Act shall be issued by the Department until the applicant provides the Department with satisfactory security, if required, as herein provided for.

Upon receipt of the application for certificate of registration in proper form, and upon approval by the Department of the security furnished by the applicant or waiver of that requirement, the Department shall issue to such applicant a certificate of registration which shall permit the person to whom it is issued to engage in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State. The certificate of registration shall be conspicuously displayed at the place of business which the person so registered states in his application to be the principal place of business from which he engages in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State.

No certificate of registration issued to a taxpayer who files returns required by this Act on a monthly basis shall be valid after the expiration of 5 years from the date of its issuance or last renewal. The expiration date of a sub-certificate of registration shall be that of the certificate of registration to which the sub-certificate relates. A certificate of registration shall automatically be renewed, subject to revocation as provided by this Act, for an additional 5 years from the date of its expiration unless otherwise notified by the Department as provided by this paragraph. Where a taxpayer to whom a certificate of registration is issued under this Act is in default to the State of Illinois for delinquent returns or for moneys due under this Act or any other State tax law or municipal or county ordinance administered or enforced by the Department, the Department shall, not less than 120 days before the expiration date of such certificate of registration, give notice to the taxpayer to whom the certificate was issued of the account period of the delinquent returns, the amount of tax, penalty and interest due and owing from the taxpayer, and that the certificate of registration shall not be automatically renewed upon its expiration date unless the taxpayer, on or before the date of expiration, has filed and paid the delinquent returns or paid the defaulted amount in full. A taxpayer to whom such a notice is issued shall be deemed an applicant for renewal. The Department shall promulgate regulations establishing procedures for taxpayers who file returns on a monthly basis but desire and qualify to change to a quarterly or yearly filing basis and will no longer be subject to renewal under this Section, and for taxpayers who file returns on a yearly or quarterly basis but who desire or are required to change to a monthly filing basis and will be subject to renewal under this Section.

The Department may in its discretion approve renewal by an applicant who is in default if, at the time of application for renewal, the applicant files all of the delinquent returns or pays to the Department such percentage of the defaulted amount as may be determined by the Department and agrees in writing to waive all limitations upon the Department for collection of the remaining defaulted amount to the Department over a period not to exceed 5 years from the date of renewal of the certificate; however, no renewal application submitted by an applicant who is in default shall be approved if the immediately preceding renewal by the applicant was conditioned upon the installment payment agreement described in this Section. The payment agreement herein provided for shall be in addition to and not in lieu of the security required by this Section of a taxpayer who is no longer considered a prior continuous compliance taxpayer. The execution of the payment agreement as provided in this Act shall not toll the accrual of interest at the statutory rate.

A certificate of registration issued under this Act more than 5 years before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1989 shall expire and be subject to the renewal provisions of this Section on the next anniversary of the date of issuance of such certificate which occurs more than 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1989. A certificate of registration issued less than 5 years before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1989 shall expire and be subject to the renewal provisions of this Section on the 5th anniversary of the issuance of the certificate.

If the person so registered states that he operates other places of business from which he engages in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State, the Department shall furnish him with a sub-certificate of registration for each such place of business, and the applicant shall display the appropriate sub-certificate of registration at each such place of business. All sub-certificates of registration shall bear the same registration number as that appearing upon the certificate of registration to which such sub-certificates relate.

If the applicant will sell tangible personal property at retail through vending machines, the Department shall furnish him with a sub-certificate of registration for each such vending machine, and the applicant shall display the appropriate sub-certificate of registration on each such vending machine by attaching the sub-certificate of registration to a conspicuous part of such vending machine.

Where the same person engages in 2 or more businesses of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State, which businesses are substantially different in character or engaged in under different trade names or engaged in under other substantially dissimilar circumstances (so that it is more practicable, from an accounting, auditing or bookkeeping standpoint, for such businesses to be separately registered), the Department may require or permit such person (subject to the same requirements concerning the furnishing of security as those that are provided for hereinbefore in this Section as to each application for a certificate of registration) to apply for and obtain a separate certificate of registration for each such business or for any of such businesses, under a single certificate of registration supplemented by related sub-certificates of registration.

Any person who is registered under the "Retailers' Occupation Tax Act" as of March 8, 1963, and who, during the 3-year period immediately prior to March 8, 1963, or during a continuous 3-year period part of which passed immediately before and the remainder of which passes immediately after March 8, 1963, has been so registered continuously and who is determined by the Department not to have been either delinquent or deficient in the payment of tax liability during that period under this Act or under any other State tax law or municipal or county tax ordinance or resolution under which the certificate of registration that is issued to the registrant under this Act will permit the registrant to engage in business without registering separately under such other law, ordinance or resolution, shall be considered to be a Prior Continuous Compliance taxpayer. Also any taxpayer who has, as verified by the Department, faithfully and continuously complied with the condition of his bond or other security under the provisions of this Act for a period of 3 consecutive years shall be considered to be a Prior Continuous Compliance taxpayer.

Every Prior Continuous Compliance taxpayer shall be exempt from all requirements under this Act concerning the furnishing of security as a condition precedent to his being authorized to engage in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in this State. This exemption shall continue for each such taxpayer until such time as he may be determined by the Department to be delinquent in the filing of any returns, or is determined by the Department (either through the Department's issuance of a final assessment which has become final under the Act, or by the taxpayer's filing of a return which admits tax that is not paid to be due) to be delinquent or deficient in the paying of any tax under this Act or under any other State tax law or municipal or county tax ordinance or resolution under which the certificate of registration that is issued to the registrant under this Act will permit the registrant to engage in business without registering separately under such other law, ordinance or resolution, at which time that taxpayer shall become subject to all the financial responsibility requirements of this Act and, as a condition of being allowed to continue to engage in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail, may shall be required to post bond or other acceptable security with the Department covering liability which such taxpayer may thereafter incur. Any taxpayer who fails to pay an admitted or established liability under this Act may also be required to post bond or other acceptable security with this Department guaranteeing the payment of such admitted or established liability.

No certificate of registration shall be issued to any person who is in default to the State of Illinois for moneys due under this Act or under any other State tax law or municipal or county tax ordinance or resolution under which the certificate of registration that is issued to the applicant under this Act will permit the applicant to engage in business without registering separately under such other law, ordinance or resolution.

Any person aggrieved by any decision of the Department under this Section may, within 20 days after notice of such decision, protest and request a hearing, whereupon the Department shall give notice to such person of the time and place fixed for such hearing and shall hold a hearing in conformity with the provisions of this Act and then issue its final administrative decision in the matter to such person. In the absence of such a protest within 20 days, the Department's decision shall become final without any further determination being made or notice given.

With respect to security other than bonds (upon which the Department may sue in the event of a forfeiture), if the taxpayer fails to pay, when due, any amount whose payment such security guarantees, the Department shall, after such liability is admitted by the taxpayer or established by the Department through the issuance of a final assessment that has become final under the law, convert the security which that taxpayer has furnished into money for the State, after first giving the taxpayer at least 10 days' written notice, by registered or certified mail, to pay the liability or forfeit such security to the Department. If the security consists of stocks or bonds or other securities which are listed on a public exchange, the Department shall sell such securities through such public exchange. If the security consists of an irrevocable bank letter of credit, the Department shall convert the security in the manner provided for in the Uniform Commercial Code. If the security consists of a bank certificate of deposit, the Department shall convert the security into money by demanding and collecting the amount of such bank certificate of deposit from the bank which issued such certificate. If the security consists of a type of stocks or other securities which are not listed on a public exchange, the Department shall sell such security to the highest and best bidder after giving at least 10 days' notice of the date, time and place of the intended sale by publication in the "State Official Newspaper". If the Department realizes more than the amount of such liability from the security, plus the expenses incurred by the Department in converting the security into money, the Department shall pay such excess to the taxpayer who furnished such security, and the balance shall be paid into the State Treasury.

The Department shall discharge any surety and shall release and return any security deposited, assigned, pledged or otherwise provided to it by a taxpayer under this Section within 30 days after:

(1) such taxpayer becomes a Prior Continuous Compliance taxpayer; or

(2) such taxpayer has ceased to collect receipts on which he is required to remit tax to the Department, has filed a final tax return, and has paid to the Department an amount sufficient to discharge his remaining tax liability, as determined by the Department, under this Act and under every other State tax law or municipal or county tax ordinance or resolution under which the certificate of registration issued under this Act permits the registrant to engage in business without registering separately under such other law, ordinance or resolution. The Department shall make a final determination of the taxpayer's outstanding tax liability as expeditiously as possible after his final tax return has been filed; if the Department cannot make such final determination within 45 days after receiving the final tax return, within such period it shall so notify the taxpayer, stating its reasons therefor.

(Source: P.A. 90-491, eff. 1-1-98; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)

Section 10. The Cigarette Tax Act is amended by changing Section 4 as follows:

(35 ILCS 130/4) (from Ch. 120, par. 453.4)

Sec. 4. Distributor's license. No person may engage in business as a distributor of cigarettes in this State within the meaning of the first 2 definitions of distributor in Section 1 of this Act without first having obtained a license therefor from the Department. Application for license shall be made to the Department in form as furnished and prescribed by the Department. Each applicant for a license under this Section shall furnish to the Department on the form signed and verified by the applicant the following information:

(a) The name and address of the applicant;

(b) The address of the location at which the applicant proposes to engage in business as a distributor of cigarettes in this State;

(c) Such other additional information as the Department may lawfully require by its rules and regulations.

The annual license fee payable to the Department for each distributor's license shall be $250. The purpose of such annual license fee is to defray the cost, to the Department, of serializing cigarette tax stamps. Each applicant for license shall pay such fee to the Department at the time of submitting his application for license to the Department.

The Department may require every Every applicant who is required to procure a distributor's license shall file with his application a joint and several bond. If required, such Such bond shall be executed to the Department of Revenue, with good and sufficient surety or sureties residing or licensed to do business within the State of Illinois, in the amount of $2,500, conditioned upon the true and faithful compliance by the licensee with all of the provisions of this Act. If required, such Such bond, or a reissue thereof, or a substitute therefor, shall be kept in effect during the entire period covered by the license. A separate application for license shall be made, a separate annual license fee paid, and, if required, a separate bond filed, for each place of business at which a person who is required to procure a distributor's license under this Section proposes to engage in business as a distributor in Illinois under this Act. The Department may waive the bond requirement if it determines that the administrative costs to the State associated with administering and enforcing the bond provisions of this Section exceed the amount that is likely to be recovered from the bonds.

The following are ineligible to receive a distributor's license under this Act:

(1) a person who is not of good character and reputation in the community in which he resides;

(2) a person who has been convicted of a felony under any Federal or State law, if the Department, after investigation and a hearing, if requested by the applicant, determines that such person has not been sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant the public trust;

(3) a corporation, if any officer, manager or director thereof, or any stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate more than 5% of the stock of such corporation, would not be eligible to receive a license under this Act for any reason.

The Department, upon receipt of an application, license fee and, if required, bond in proper form, from a person who is eligible to receive a distributor's license under this Act, shall issue to such applicant a license in form as prescribed by the Department, which license shall permit the applicant to which it is issued to engage in business as a distributor at the place shown in his application. All licenses issued by the Department under this Act shall be valid for not to exceed one year after issuance unless sooner revoked, canceled or suspended as provided in this Act. No license issued under this Act is transferable or assignable. Such license shall be conspicuously displayed in the place of business conducted by the licensee in Illinois under such license.

Any person aggrieved by any decision of the Department under this Section may, within 20 days after notice of the decision, protest and request a hearing. Upon receiving a request for a hearing, the Department shall give notice to the person requesting the hearing of the time and place fixed for the hearing and shall hold a hearing in conformity with the provisions of this Act and then issue its final administrative decision in the matter to that person. In the absence of a protest and request for a hearing within 20 days, the Department's decision shall become final without any further determination being made or notice given.

(Source: P.A. 91-901, eff. 1-1-01; 92-322, eff. 1-1-02.)

Section 15. The Cigarette Use Tax Act is amended by changing Section 4 as follows:

(35 ILCS 135/4) (from Ch. 120, par. 453.34)

Sec. 4. Distributor's license. A distributor maintaining a place of business in this State, if required to procure a license or allowed to obtain a permit as a distributor under the Cigarette Tax Act, need not obtain an additional license or permit under this Act, but shall be deemed to be sufficiently licensed or registered by virtue of his being licensed or registered under the Cigarette Tax Act.

Every distributor maintaining a place of business in this State, if not required to procure a license or allowed to obtain a permit as a distributor under the Cigarette Tax Act, shall make a verified application to the Department (upon a form prescribed and furnished by the Department) for a license to act as a distributor under this Act. In completing such application, the applicant shall furnish such information as the Department may reasonably require.

The annual license fee payable to the Department for each distributor's license shall be $250. The purpose of such annual license fee is to defray the cost, to the Department, of serializing cigarette tax stamps. The applicant for license shall pay such fee to the Department at the time of submitting the application for license to the Department.

The Department may require such Such applicant to shall file, with his application, a joint and several bond. If required, such Such bond shall be executed to the Department of Revenue, with good and sufficient surety or sureties residing or licensed to do business within the State of Illinois, in the amount of $2,500, conditioned upon the true and faithful compliance by the licensee with all of the provisions of this Act. If required, such Such bond, or a reissue thereof, or a substitute therefor, shall be kept in effect during the entire period covered by the license. A separate application for license shall be made, a separate annual license fee paid, and, if required, a separate bond filed, for each place of business at or from which the applicant proposes to act as a distributor under this Act and for which the applicant is not required to procure a license or allowed to obtain a permit as a distributor under the Cigarette Tax Act. The Department may waive the bond requirement if it determines that the administrative costs to the State associated with administering and enforcing the bond provisions of this Section exceed the amount that is likely to be recovered from the bonds.

The following are ineligible to receive a distributor's license under this Act:

(1) a person who is not of good character and reputation in the community in which he resides;

(2) a person who has been convicted of a felony under any Federal or State law, if the Department, after investigation and a hearing, if requested by the applicant, determines that such person has not been sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant the public trust;

(3) a corporation, if any officer, manager or director thereof, or any stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate more than 5% of the stock of such corporation, would not be eligible to receive a license hereunder for any reason.

Upon approval of such application and, if required, bond and payment of the required annual license fee, the Department shall issue a license to the applicant. Such license shall permit the applicant to engage in business as a distributor at or from the place shown in his application. All licenses issued by the Department under this Act shall be valid for not to exceed one year after issuance unless sooner revoked, canceled or suspended as in this Act provided. No license issued under this Act is transferable or assignable. Such license shall be conspicuously displayed at the place of business for which it is issued.

Any person aggrieved by any decision of the Department under this Section may, within 20 days after notice of the decision, protest and request a hearing. Upon receiving a request for a hearing, the Department shall give notice to the person requesting the hearing of the time and place fixed for the hearing and shall hold a hearing in conformity with the provisions of this Act and then issue its final administrative decision in the matter to that person. In the absence of a protest and request for a hearing within 20 days, the Department's decision shall become final without any further determination being made or notice given.

(Source: P.A. 91-901, eff. 1-1-01; 92-322, eff. 1-1-02.)

Section 20. The Liquor Control Act of 1934 is amended by changing Section 8-2 as follows:

(235 ILCS 5/8-2) (from Ch. 43, par. 159)

Sec. 8-2. It is the duty of each manufacturer with respect to alcoholic liquor produced or imported by such manufacturer, or purchased tax-free by such manufacturer from another manufacturer or importing distributor, and of each importing distributor as to alcoholic liquor purchased by such importing distributor from foreign importers or from anyone from any point in the United States outside of this State or purchased tax-free from another manufacturer or importing distributor, to pay the tax imposed by Section 8-1 to the Department of Revenue on or before the 15th day of the calendar month following the calendar month in which such alcoholic liquor is sold or used by such manufacturer or by such importing distributor other than in an authorized tax-free manner or to pay that tax electronically as provided in this Section.

Each manufacturer and each importing distributor shall make payment under one of the following methods: (1) on or before the 15th day of each calendar month, file in person or by United States first-class mail, postage pre-paid, with the Department of Revenue, on forms prescribed and furnished by the Department, a report in writing in such form as may be required by the Department in order to compute, and assure the accuracy of, the tax due on all taxable sales and uses of alcoholic liquor occurring during the preceding month. Payment of the tax in the amount disclosed by the report shall accompany the report or, (2) on or before the 15th day of each calendar month, electronically file with the Department of Revenue, on forms prescribed and furnished by the Department, an electronic report in such form as may be required by the Department in order to compute, and assure the accuracy of, the tax due on all taxable sales and uses of alcoholic liquor occurring during the preceding month. An electronic payment of the tax in the amount disclosed by the report shall accompany the report. A manufacturer or distributor who files an electronic report and electronically pays the tax imposed pursuant to Section 8-1 to the Department of Revenue on or before the 15th day of the calendar month following the calendar month in which such alcoholic liquor is sold or used by that manufacturer or importing distributor other than in an authorized tax-free manner shall pay to the Department the amount of the tax imposed pursuant to Section 8-1, less a discount which is allowed to reimburse the manufacturer or importing distributor for the expenses incurred in keeping and maintaining records, preparing and filing the electronic returns, remitting the tax, and supplying data to the Department upon request.

The discount shall be in an amount as follows:

(1) For original returns due on or after January 1, 2003 through September 30, 2003, the discount shall be 1.75% or $1,250 per return, whichever is less;

(2) For original returns due on or after October 1, 2003 through September 30, 2004, the discount shall be 2% or $3,000 per return, whichever is less; and

(3) For original returns due on or after October 1, 2004, the discount shall be 2% or $2,000 per return, whichever is less.

The Department may, if it deems it necessary in order to insure the payment of the tax imposed by this Article, require returns to be made more frequently than and covering periods of less than a month. Such return shall contain such further information as the Department may reasonably require.

It shall be presumed that all alcoholic liquors acquired or made by any importing distributor or manufacturer have been sold or used by him in this State and are the basis for the tax imposed by this Article unless proven, to the satisfaction of the Department, that such alcoholic liquors are (1) still in the possession of such importing distributor or manufacturer, or (2) prior to the termination of possession have been lost by theft or through unintentional destruction, or (3) that such alcoholic liquors are otherwise exempt from taxation under this Act.

The Department may require any foreign importer to file monthly information returns, by the 15th day of the month following the month which any such return covers, if the Department determines this to be necessary to the proper performance of the Department's functions and duties under this Act. Such return shall contain such information as the Department may reasonably require.

The Department may require every Every manufacturer and importing distributor to shall also file, with the Department, a bond in an amount not less than $1,000 and not to exceed $100,000 on a form to be approved by, and with a surety or sureties satisfactory to, the Department. If required, such Such bond shall be conditioned upon the manufacturer or importing distributor paying to the Department all monies becoming due from such manufacturer or importing distributor under this Article. In making a determination as to whether to require a bond and the amount at which to The Department shall fix the penalty of such bond in each case, the Department shall take taking into consideration the amount of alcoholic liquor expected to be sold and used by such manufacturer or importing distributor, and, if a bond requirement is imposed, the penalty fixed by the Department shall be sufficient, in the Department's opinion, to protect the State of Illinois against failure to pay any amount due under this Article, but the amount of the penalty fixed by the Department shall not exceed twice the amount of tax liability of a monthly return, nor shall the amount of such penalty be less than $1,000. The Department may waive the bond requirement if it determines that the administrative costs to the State associated with administering and enforcing the bond provisions of this Section exceed the amount that is likely to be recovered from the bonds. The Department shall notify the Commission of the Department's approval or disapproval of any such manufacturer's or importing distributor's bond, or of the termination or cancellation of any such bond, or of the Department's direction to a manufacturer or importing distributor that he must file additional bond in order to comply with this Section. The Commission shall not issue a license to any applicant for a manufacturer's or importing distributor's license unless the Commission has received a notification from the Department showing that such applicant has filed a satisfactory bond with the Department hereunder and that such bond has been approved by the Department or that such bond requirement has been waived. Failure by any licensed manufacturer or importing distributor to keep a satisfactory bond in effect with the Department, if required, or to furnish additional bond to the Department, when required hereunder by the Department to do so, shall be grounds for the revocation or suspension of such manufacturer's or importing distributor's license by the Commission. If a manufacturer or importing distributor fails to pay any amount due under this Article, his bond with the Department shall be deemed forfeited, and the Department may institute a suit in its own name on such bond.

After notice and opportunity for a hearing the State Commission may revoke or suspend the license of any manufacturer or importing distributor who fails to comply with the provisions of this Section. Notice of such hearing and the time and place thereof shall be in writing and shall contain a statement of the charges against the licensee. Such notice may be given by United States registered or certified mail with return receipt requested, addressed to the person concerned at his last known address and shall be given not less than 7 days prior to the date fixed for the hearing. An order revoking or suspending a license under the provisions of this Section may be reviewed in the manner provided in Section 7-10 of this Act. No new license shall be granted to a person whose license has been revoked for a violation of this Section or, in case of suspension, shall such suspension be terminated until he has paid to the Department all taxes and penalties which he owes the State under the provisions of this Act.

Every manufacturer or importing distributor who has, as verified by the Department, continuously complied with the conditions of the bond under this Act for a period of 2 years shall be considered to be a prior continuous compliance taxpayer. In determining the consecutive period of time for qualification as a prior continuous compliance taxpayer, any consecutive period of time of qualifying compliance immediately prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1987 shall be credited to any manufacturer or importing distributor.

Every prior continuous compliance taxpayer shall be exempt from the bond requirements of this Act until the Department has determined the taxpayer to be delinquent in the filing of any return or deficient in the payment of any tax under this Act. Any taxpayer who fails to pay an admitted or established liability under this Act may also be required to post bond or other acceptable security with the Department guaranteeing the payment of such admitted or established liability.

The Department shall discharge any surety and shall release and return any bond or security deposit assigned, pledged or otherwise provided to it by a taxpayer under this Section within 30 days after: (1) such taxpayer becomes a prior continuous compliance taxpayer; or (2) such taxpayer has ceased to collect receipts on which he is required to remit tax to the Department, has filed a final tax return, and has paid to the Department an amount sufficient to discharge his remaining tax liability as determined by the Department under this Act.

(Source: P.A. 92-393, eff. 1-1-03; 93-22, eff. 6-20-03.)

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