35 ILCS 145/3

(35 ILCS 145/3) (from Ch. 120, par. 481b.33)

Sec. 3. Rate; exemptions.

(a) A tax is imposed upon hotel operators at the rate of 5% of 94% of the gross rental receipts from engaging in business as a hotel operator, excluding, however, from gross rental receipts, the proceeds of renting, leasing or letting hotel rooms to permanent residents of a hotel and proceeds from the tax imposed under subsection (c) of Section 13 of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority Act.

(b) There shall be imposed an additional tax upon hotel operators at the rate of 1% of 94% of the gross rental receipts received by the hotel operator from engaging in business as a hotel operator, excluding, however, from gross rental receipts, the proceeds of such renting, leasing or letting to permanent residents of that hotel and proceeds from the tax imposed under subsection (c) of Section 13 of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority Act.

(b-5) Beginning on July 1, 2024, if the renting, leasing, or letting of a hotel room is done through a re-renter of hotel rooms, then, subject to the provisions of Sections 3-2 and 3-3, the re-renter is the hotel operator for the purposes of the taxes under subsections (a) and (b). If the re-renter is headquartered outside of this State and has no presence in this State other than its business as a re-renter, conducted remotely, then, subject to the provisions of Sections 3-2 and 3-3, such re-renter is the hotel operator for the purposes of the taxes under subsections (a) and (b) if it meets one of the following thresholds:

(1) the cumulative gross receipts from rentals in Illinois by the re-renter of hotel rooms are $100,000 or more; or

(2) the re-renter of hotel rooms cumulatively enters into 200 or more separate transactions for rentals in Illinois.

A re-renter of hotel rooms who is headquartered outside of this State and has no presence in this State other than its business as a re-renter, conducted remotely, shall determine on a quarterly basis, ending on the last day of March, June, September, and December, whether he or she meets the threshold of either paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection (b-5) for the preceding 12-month period. If such re-renter of hotel rooms meets the threshold of either paragraph (1) or (2) for a 12-month period, he or she is subject to tax under this Act and is required to remit the tax imposed under this Act and file returns for the 12-month period beginning on the first day of the next month after he or she determines that he or she meets the threshold of paragraph (1) or (2). At the end of that 12-month period, such re-renter of hotel rooms shall determine whether he or she continued to meet the threshold of either paragraph (1) or (2) during the preceding 12-month period. If he or she met the threshold in either paragraph (1) or (2) for the preceding 12-month period, he or she is a hotel operator in this State and is required to remit the tax imposed under this Act and file returns for the subsequent 12-month period. If, at the end of a 12-month period during which such re-renter is required to remit the tax imposed under this Act, the re-renter determines that he or she did not meet the threshold in either paragraph (1) or (2) during the preceding 12-month period, he or she shall subsequently determine on a quarterly basis, ending on the last day of March, June, September, and December, whether he or she meets the threshold of either paragraph (1) or (2) for the preceding 12-month period.

(c) No funds received pursuant to this Act shall be used to advertise for or otherwise promote new competition in the hotel business.

(d) However, such tax is not imposed upon the privilege of engaging in any business in Interstate Commerce or otherwise, which business may not, under the Constitution and Statutes of the United States, be made the subject of taxation by this State. In addition, the tax is not imposed upon gross rental receipts for which the hotel operator is prohibited from obtaining reimbursement for the tax from the customer by reason of a federal treaty.

(d-5) On and after July 1, 2017, the tax imposed by this Act shall not apply to gross rental receipts received by an entity that is organized and operated exclusively for religious purposes and possesses an active Exemption Identification Number issued by the Department pursuant to the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act when acting as a hotel operator renting, leasing, or letting rooms:

(1) in furtherance of the purposes for which it is organized; or

(2) to entities that (i) are organized and operated exclusively for religious purposes, (ii) possess an active Exemption Identification Number issued by the Department pursuant to the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, and (iii) rent the rooms in furtherance of the purposes for which they are organized.

No gross rental receipts are exempt under paragraph (2) of this subsection (d-5) unless the hotel operator obtains the active Exemption Identification Number from the exclusively religious entity to whom it is renting and maintains that number in its books and records. Gross rental receipts from all rentals other than those described in items (1) or (2) of this subsection (d-5) are subject to the tax imposed by this Act unless otherwise exempt under this Act.

This subsection (d-5) is exempt from the sunset provisions of Section 3-5 of this Act.

(d-10) On and after July 1, 2023, the tax imposed by this Act shall not apply to gross rental receipts received from the renting, leasing, or letting of rooms to an entity that is organized and operated exclusively by an organization chartered by the United States Congress for the purpose of providing disaster relief and that possesses an active Exemption Identification Number issued by the Department pursuant to the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act if the renting, leasing, or letting of the rooms is in furtherance of the purposes for which the exempt organization is organized. This subsection (d-10) is exempt from the sunset provisions of Section 3-5 of this Act.

(e) Persons subject to the tax imposed by this Act may reimburse themselves for their tax liability under this Act by separately stating such tax as an additional charge, which charge may be stated in combination, in a single amount, with any tax imposed pursuant to Sections 8-3-13 and 8-3-14 of the Illinois Municipal Code, and Section 25.05-10 of "An Act to revise the law in relation to counties".

(f) If any hotel operator collects an amount (however designated) which purports to reimburse such operator for hotel operators' occupation tax liability measured by receipts which are not subject to hotel operators' occupation tax, or if any hotel operator, in collecting an amount (however designated) which purports to reimburse such operator for hotel operators' occupation tax liability measured by receipts which are subject to tax under this Act, collects more from the guest or re-renter than the operators' hotel operators' occupation tax liability in the transaction is, the guest or re-renter, as applicable, shall have a legal right to claim a refund of such amount from such operator. However, if such amount is not refunded to the guest or re-renter, as applicable, for any reason, the hotel operator is liable to pay such amount to the Department.

(Source: P.A. 103-9, eff. 6-7-23; 103-592, eff. 7-1-24.)