Illinois General Assembly

  Bills & Resolutions  
  Compiled Statutes  
  Public Acts  
  Legislative Reports  
  IL Constitution  
  Legislative Guide  
  Legislative Glossary  

 Search By Number
 (example: HB0001)
Search Tips

Search By Keyword

Illinois Compiled Statutes

Information maintained by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Updating the database of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) is an ongoing process. Recent laws may not yet be included in the ILCS database, but they are found on this site as Public Acts soon after they become law. For information concerning the relationship between statutes and Public Acts, refer to the Guide.

Because the statute database is maintained primarily for legislative drafting purposes, statutory changes are sometimes included in the statute database before they take effect. If the source note at the end of a Section of the statutes includes a Public Act that has not yet taken effect, the version of the law that is currently in effect may have already been removed from the database and you should refer to that Public Act to see the changes made to the current law.

REVENUE
(35 ILCS 200/) Property Tax Code.

35 ILCS 200/Art. 31

 
    (35 ILCS 200/Art. 31 heading)
Article 31. Real Estate Transfer Tax Law

35 ILCS 200/31-1

    (35 ILCS 200/31-1)
    Sec. 31-1. Short title. This Article may be cited as the Real Estate Transfer Tax Law.
(Source: Laws 1967, p. 1716; P.A. 88-455.)

35 ILCS 200/31-5

    (35 ILCS 200/31-5)
    Sec. 31-5. Definitions.
    "Affixed" means physically or electronically indicated.
    "Recordation" includes the issuance of certificates of title by Registrars of Title under the Registered Titles (Torrens) Act pursuant to the filing of deeds or trust documents for that purpose, as well as the recording of deeds or trust documents by recorders.
    "Department" means the Department of Revenue.
    "Person" means any natural individual, firm, partnership, association, joint stock company, joint adventure, public or private corporation, limited liability company, or a receiver, executor, trustee, guardian or other representative appointed by order of any court.
    "Revenue stamp" means physical, electronic, or alternative indicia that indicates the amount of tax paid.
    "Value" means the amount of the full actual consideration for the real property or the beneficial interest in real property located in Illinois, including the amount of any lien on the real property assumed by the transferee.
    "Trust document" means a document required to be recorded under the Land Trust Recordation and Transfer Tax Act and, beginning June 1, 2005, also means any document relating to the transfer of a taxable beneficial interest under this Article.
    "Beneficial interest" includes, but is not limited to:
        (1) the beneficial interest in an Illinois land trust;
        (2) the lessee interest in a ground lease (including
    
any interest of the lessee in the related improvements) that provides for a term of 30 or more years when all options to renew or extend are included, whether or not any portion of the term has expired; or
        (3) the indirect interest in real property as
    
reflected by a controlling interest in a real estate entity.
    "Controlling interest" means more than 50% of the fair market value of all ownership interests or beneficial interests in a real estate entity.
    "Real estate entity" means any person including, but not limited to, any partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust, other entity, or multi-tiered entity, that exists or acts substantially for the purpose of holding directly or indirectly title to or beneficial interest in real property. There is a rebuttable presumption that an entity is a real estate entity if it owns, directly or indirectly, real property having a fair market value greater than 75% of the total fair market value of all of the entity's assets, determined without deduction for any mortgage, lien, or encumbrance.
(Source: P.A. 98-929, eff. 8-15-14.)

35 ILCS 200/31-10

    (35 ILCS 200/31-10)
    Sec. 31-10. Imposition of tax. A tax is imposed on the privilege of transferring title to real estate located in Illinois, on the privilege of transferring a beneficial interest in real property located in Illinois, and on the privilege of transferring a controlling interest in a real estate entity owning property located in Illinois, at the rate of 50¢ for each $500 of value or fraction of $500 stated in the declaration required by Section 31-25. If, however, the transferring document states that the real estate, beneficial interest, or controlling interest is transferred subject to a mortgage, the amount of the mortgage remaining outstanding at the time of transfer shall not be included in the basis of computing the tax. The tax is due if the transfer is made by one or more related transactions or involves one or more persons or entities and whether or not a document is recorded.
(Source: P.A. 93-657, eff. 6-1-04; 93-1099, eff. 6-1-05.)

35 ILCS 200/31-15

    (35 ILCS 200/31-15)
    Sec. 31-15. Collection of tax.
    (a) Paper revenue stamps. The tax shall be collected by the recorder or registrar of titles of the county in which the property is situated through the sale of revenue stamps, the design, denominations and form of which shall be prescribed by the Department. The revenue stamps shall be sold by the Department to the recorder or registrar of titles who shall cause them to be sold for the purposes prescribed. The Department shall charge at a rate of 50¢ per $500 of value in units of not less than $500. The recorder or registrar of titles of the several counties shall sell the revenue stamps at a rate of 50¢ per $500 of value or fraction of $500. The recorder or registrar of titles may use the proceeds for the purchase of revenue stamps from the Department. The Department must establish a system to allow the recorder or registrar of titles to purchase the revenue stamps electronically and must deliver the electronically purchased stamps to the recorder or registrar of titles.
    (b) Electronic revenue stamp or alternative indicia. If the recorder or registrar of titles uses an electronic revenue stamp or alternative indicia, the recorder or registrar of titles shall electronically file a return and electronically remit the tax to the Department on or before the 10th day of the month following the month in which the tax was required to be collected. The return shall disclose the tax collected and other information that the Department may reasonably require. The return shall be filed using a format prescribed by the Department.
    If a return is not filed or the tax is not fully paid as required under this Section within 15 days of the required time period, the Department may eliminate the recorder or registrar of titles' ability to electronically file its returns and electronically remit the tax until such time as the recorder or registrar of titles fully remits the return and tax amount due.
(Source: P.A. 98-929, eff. 8-15-14.)

35 ILCS 200/31-20

    (35 ILCS 200/31-20)
    Sec. 31-20. Affixing of stamps. Payment of the tax shall be evidenced by revenue stamps in the amount required to show full payment of the tax imposed by Section 31-10. Except as provided in Section 31-45, a deed, document transferring a controlling interest in real property, or trust document shall not be accepted for filing by any recorder or registrar of titles unless revenue stamps in the required amount have been purchased from the recorder or registrar of titles of the county where the deed, document transferring a controlling interest in real property, or trust document is being filed for recordation. The revenue stamps shall be affixed to the deed, document transferring a controlling interest in real property, or trust document by the recorder or the registrar of titles either before or after recording as requested by the grantee. The Department may prescribe a form to which stamps must be affixed that a transferee must file for recordation at the time a declaration is presented if a transferring document is not presented for recordation within 3 business days after the transfer is effected. A person using or affixing a revenue stamp shall cancel it and so deface it as to render it unfit for reuse by marking it with his or her initials and the day, month and year when the affixing occurs. The marking shall be made by writing or stamping in indelible ink or by perforating with a machine or punch. However, the revenue stamp shall not be so defaced as to prevent ready determination of its denomination and genuineness.
(Source: P.A. 93-657, eff. 6-1-04; 93-1099, eff. 6-1-05.)

35 ILCS 200/31-25

    (35 ILCS 200/31-25)
    Sec. 31-25. Transfer declaration. At the time a deed, a document transferring a controlling interest in real property, or trust document is presented for recordation, or within 3 business days after the transfer is effected, whichever is earlier, there shall also be presented to the recorder or registrar of titles a declaration, signed by at least one of the sellers and also signed by at least one of the buyers in the transaction or by the attorneys or agents for the sellers or buyers. The declaration shall state information including, but not limited to: (a) the value of the real property or beneficial interest in real property located in Illinois so transferred; (b) the parcel identifying number of the property; (c) the legal description of the property; (d) the date of the deed, the date the transfer was effected, or the date of the trust document; (e) the type of deed, transfer, or trust document; (f) the address of the property; (g) the type of improvement, if any, on the property; (h) information as to whether the transfer is between related individuals or corporate affiliates or is a compulsory transaction; (i) the lot size or acreage; (j) the value of personal property sold with the real estate; (k) the year the contract was initiated if an installment sale; (l) any homestead exemptions, as provided in Sections 15-170, 15-172, 15-175, and 15-176 as reflected on the most recent annual tax bill; (m) the name, address, and telephone number of the person preparing the declaration; and (n) whether the transfer is pursuant to compulsory sale. Except as provided in Section 31-45, a deed, a document transferring a controlling interest in real property, or trust document shall not be accepted for recordation unless it is accompanied by a declaration containing all the information requested in the declaration. When the declaration is signed by an attorney or agent on behalf of sellers or buyers who have the power of direction to deal with the title to the real estate under a land trust agreement, the trustee being the mere repository of record legal title with a duty of conveying the real estate only when and if directed in writing by the beneficiary or beneficiaries having the power of direction, the attorneys or agents executing the declaration on behalf of the sellers or buyers need identify only the land trust that is the repository of record legal title and not the beneficiary or beneficiaries having the power of direction under the land trust agreement. The declaration form shall be prescribed by the Department and shall contain sales information questions. For sales occurring during a period in which the provisions of Section 17-10 require the Department to adjust sale prices for seller paid points and prevailing cost of cash, the declaration form shall contain questions regarding the financing of the sale. The subject of the financing questions shall include any direct seller participation in the financing of the sale or information on financing that is unconventional so as to affect the fair cash value received by the seller. The intent of the sales and financing questions is to aid in the reduction in the number of buyers required to provide financing information necessary for the adjustment outlined in Section 17-10. For sales occurring during a period in which the provisions of Section 17-10 require the Department to adjust sale prices for seller paid points and prevailing cost of cash, the declaration form shall include, at a minimum, the following data: (a) seller paid points, (b) the sales price, (c) type of financing (conventional, VA, FHA, seller-financed, or other), (d) down payment, (e) term, (f) interest rate, (g) type and description of interest rate (fixed, adjustable or renegotiable), and (h) an appropriate place for the inclusion of special facts or circumstances, if any. The Department shall provide an adequate supply of forms to each recorder and registrar of titles in the State.
(Source: P.A. 96-1083, eff. 7-16-10.)

35 ILCS 200/31-30

    (35 ILCS 200/31-30)
    Sec. 31-30. Use of transfer declaration. The recorder or registrar of titles shall not record the declaration, but shall insert on the declaration and all attachments the Document Number assigned to the deed or trust document, and shall within 30 days of receipt transmit the declaration to the chief county assessment officer. The chief county assessment officer shall insert on the declaration the most recent assessed value for each parcel of the transferred property and other information required by the Department, and, within 30 days of receipt or within 30 days of the adjournment of the board of review for the previous assessment year, whichever is later, shall transmit all the declarations to the Department. The chief county assessment officer may also copy and retain any information relating to the property transferred to assist in determining the proper assessed valuation of the property transferred and other properties in his county.
(Source: P.A. 91-555, eff. 1-1-00.)

35 ILCS 200/31-35

    (35 ILCS 200/31-35)
    Sec. 31-35. Deposit of tax revenue.
    (a) Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly and through June 30, 2003, of the moneys collected under Section 31-15, 50% shall be deposited into the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund, 20% into the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Fund, 5% into the Natural Areas Acquisition Fund, and 25% into the General Revenue Fund.
    (b) Beginning July 1, 2003, of the moneys collected under Section 31-15, 50% shall be deposited into the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund, 35% into the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Fund, and 15% into the Natural Areas Acquisition Fund.
(Source: P.A. 91-555, eff. 1-1-00; 92-536, eff. 6-6-02; 92-874, eff. 7-1-03.)

35 ILCS 200/31-40

    (35 ILCS 200/31-40)
    Sec. 31-40. Real estate in civil townships. If the real estate described in the deed is located in a civil township, the recorder or registrar of titles shall transmit a copy of the declaration to the township or multi-township assessor for that township. This Section does not apply to any county having an elected county assessor.
(Source: P.A. 83-358; 88-455.)

35 ILCS 200/31-45

    (35 ILCS 200/31-45)
    Sec. 31-45. Exemptions. The following deeds or trust documents shall be exempt from the provisions of this Article except as provided in this Section:
        (a) Deeds representing real estate transfers made
    
before January 1, 1968, but recorded after that date and trust documents executed before January 1, 1986, but recorded after that date.
        (b) Deeds to or trust documents relating to (1)
    
property acquired by any governmental body or from any governmental body, (2) property or interests transferred between governmental bodies, or (3) property acquired by or from any corporation, society, association, foundation or institution organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious or educational purposes. However, deeds or trust documents, other than those in which the Administrator of Veterans Affairs of the United States is the grantee pursuant to a foreclosure proceeding, shall not be exempt from filing the declaration.
        (c) Deeds or trust documents that secure debt or
    
other obligation.
        (d) Deeds or trust documents that, without additional
    
consideration, confirm, correct, modify, or supplement a deed or trust document previously recorded.
        (e) Deeds or trust documents where the actual
    
consideration is less than $100.
        (f) Tax deeds.
        (g) Deeds or trust documents that release property
    
that is security for a debt or other obligation.
        (h) Deeds of partition.
        (i) Deeds or trust documents made pursuant to
    
mergers, consolidations or transfers or sales of substantially all of the assets of corporations under plans of reorganization under the Federal Internal Revenue Code or Title 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Act.
        (j) Deeds or trust documents made by a subsidiary
    
corporation to its parent corporation for no consideration other than the cancellation or surrender of the subsidiary's stock.
        (k) Deeds when there is an actual exchange of real
    
estate and trust documents when there is an actual exchange of beneficial interests, except that that money difference or money's worth paid from one to the other is not exempt from the tax. These deeds or trust documents, however, shall not be exempt from filing the declaration.
        (l) Deeds issued to a holder of a mortgage, as
    
defined in Section 15-103 of the Code of Civil Procedure, pursuant to a mortgage foreclosure proceeding or pursuant to a transfer in lieu of foreclosure.
        (m) A deed or trust document related to the purchase
    
of a principal residence by a participant in the program authorized by the Home Ownership Made Easy Act, except that those deeds and trust documents shall not be exempt from filing the declaration.
(Source: P.A. 100-201, eff. 8-18-17.)

35 ILCS 200/31-46

    (35 ILCS 200/31-46)
    Sec. 31-46. Exemption from tax equal to corporate franchise taxes paid. If a transfer of a controlling interest in a real estate entity is taxed under this Article and the real estate entity liable for the tax under this Article is also liable for corporate franchise taxes under the Business Corporation Act of 1983 as a result of the transfer, then the real estate entity is exempt from paying the tax imposed under this Article to the extent of the corporate franchise tax paid by the real estate entity as a result of the transfer. The exemption shall not reduce the real estate entity's tax liability under this Article to less than zero.
(Source: P.A. 93-657, eff. 6-1-04.)

35 ILCS 200/31-47

    (35 ILCS 200/31-47)
    Sec. 31-47. Verification. In all counties, each transfer declaration filed under this Law shall include a written statement by both the grantor or grantor's agent and the grantee or grantee's agent that the information contained in the declaration is true and correct to the best of his or her knowledge and belief. In counties of 3,000,000 or more inhabitants, the declaration shall also contain a written statement executed by the grantor or the grantor's agent verifying that, to the best of his or her knowledge, the name of the grantee shown on the deed or assignment of beneficial interest in a land trust is either a natural person, an Illinois corporation or foreign corporation authorized to do business or acquire and hold title to real estate in Illinois, a partnership authorized to do business or acquire and hold title to real estate in Illinois, or other entity recognized as a person and authorized to do business or acquire and hold title to real estate under the laws of Illinois. In counties of 3,000,000 or more inhabitants, the declaration shall also contain a written statement executed by the grantee or the grantee's agent verifying that the name of the grantee shown on the deed or assignment of beneficial interest in a land trust is either a natural person, an Illinois corporation or foreign corporation authorized to do business or acquire and hold title to real estate in Illinois, a partnership authorized to do business or acquire and hold title to real estate in Illinois, or other entity recognized as a person and authorized to do business or acquire and hold title to real estate under the laws of Illinois.
(Source: P.A. 91-555, eff. 1-1-00.)

35 ILCS 200/31-50

    (35 ILCS 200/31-50)
    Sec. 31-50. Penalties. Any person who willfully falsifies the value of transferred real estate on the transfer declaration required by Section 31-25 or who willfully falsifies or willfully omits any other information required by Section 31-25 or who willfully and falsely claims a transaction to be exempt under Section 31-45 is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor. Any person who knowingly submits a false statement concerning the identity of a grantee under the provisions of this Article is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor. A second or subsequent conviction of an offense is a Class A misdemeanor. A prosecution for any act in violation of this Article may be commenced at any time within 5 years of the commission of the act. Only the buyer or the buyer's representative shall attest to the accuracy of the financing information reported on the declaration and required by Section 31-25. Any person convicted of any offense under this Law is liable for the tax due in addition to any fines imposed by the court.
(Source: P.A. 91-555, eff. 1-1-00.)

35 ILCS 200/31-55

    (35 ILCS 200/31-55)
    Sec. 31-55. Public records. Transfer declarations under this Article are public records and shall be made available for inspection, upon request, during regular business hours.
(Source: P.A. 87-543; 88-455.)

35 ILCS 200/31-60

    (35 ILCS 200/31-60)
    Sec. 31-60. Check for violations. The Department shall conduct spot checks or investigations of declarations required to be filed by this Article and may forward information of violations to the State's Attorney of the county where the violations occur for prosecution and collection of taxes.
(Source: P.A. 91-555, eff. 1-1-00.)

35 ILCS 200/31-65

    (35 ILCS 200/31-65)
    Sec. 31-65. Additional tax. The tax imposed by Section 31-10 is in addition to all other occupation or privilege taxes imposed by the State of Illinois or by any municipal corporation or political subdivision.
(Source: Laws 1967, p. 1716; P.A. 88-455.)

35 ILCS 200/31-70

    (35 ILCS 200/31-70)
    Sec. 31-70. Rules. The Department may prescribe reasonable rules for the administration of this Article, including rules permitting a transfer declaration in a prescribed electronic form and permitting the electronic transmission of the transfer declaration using a prescribed method and format.
(Source: P.A. 91-555, eff. 1-1-00.)