(55 ILCS 5/5-1031) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-1031)
    Sec. 5-1031. County real estate transfer tax.
    (a) The county board of a county may impose a tax upon the privilege of transferring title to real estate, as represented by the deed that is filed for recordation, and upon the privilege of transferring a beneficial interest in a land trust holding legal title to real estate located in such county as represented by the trust document that is filed for recordation, at the rate of 25 cents for each $500 of value or fraction thereof stated in the declaration required by Section 31-25 of the Property Tax Code. If, however, the real estate 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.
    A tax imposed pursuant to this Section shall be collected by the recorder or registrar of titles of the county prior to recording the deed or trust document or registering the title subject to the tax. All deeds or trust documents exempted in Section 31-45 of the Property Tax Code shall also be exempt from any tax imposed pursuant to this Section. A tax imposed pursuant to this Section shall be in addition to all other occupation and privilege taxes imposed by the State of Illinois or any municipal corporation or political subdivision thereof.
    (b) The county board may impose a tax at the same rate on the transfer of a beneficial interest, as defined in Section 31-5 of the Property Tax Code. If, however, the transferring document states that the real estate or beneficial interest is transferred subject to a mortgage, then 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 must be paid at the time of recordation or, if a document is not recorded, at the time of presentation of the transfer declaration to the recorder, as provided in Section 31-25 of the Property Tax Code. All deeds or documents relating to the transfer of a beneficial interest exempted in Sections 31-45 or 31-46 of the Property Tax Code are also exempt from any tax imposed under this Section. A tax imposed under this Section is in addition to all other occupation and privilege taxes imposed by the State of Illinois or any municipal corporation or political subdivision thereof.
    (c) Beginning June 1, 2005, a tax imposed under this Section is due if the transfer is made by one or more related transactions or involves one or more persons or entities, regardless of whether a document is recorded.
(Source: P.A. 93-1099, eff. 6-1-05.)