70 ILCS 3610/5.01

(70 ILCS 3610/5.01) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 355.01)

Sec. 5.01. Metro East Mass Transit District; use and occupation taxes.

(a) The Board of Trustees of any Metro East Mass Transit District may, by ordinance adopted with the concurrence of two-thirds of the then trustees, impose throughout the District any or all of the taxes and fees provided in this Section. Except as otherwise provided, all taxes and fees imposed under this Section shall be used only for public mass transportation systems, and the amount used to provide mass transit service to unserved areas of the District shall be in the same proportion to the total proceeds as the number of persons residing in the unserved areas is to the total population of the District. Except as otherwise provided in this Act, taxes imposed under this Section and civil penalties imposed incident thereto shall be collected and enforced by the State Department of Revenue. The Department shall have the power to administer and enforce the taxes and to determine all rights for refunds for erroneous payments of the taxes.

(b) The Board may impose a Metro East Mass Transit District Retailers' Occupation Tax upon all persons engaged in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail in the district at a rate of 1/4 of 1%, or as authorized under subsection (d-5) of this Section, of the gross receipts from the sales made in the course of such business within the district, except that the rate of tax imposed under this Section on sales of aviation fuel on or after December 1, 2019 shall be 0.25% in Madison County unless the Metro-East Mass Transit District in Madison County has an "airport-related purpose" and any additional amount authorized under subsection (d-5) is expended for airport-related purposes. If there is no airport-related purpose to which aviation fuel tax revenue is dedicated, then aviation fuel is excluded from any additional amount authorized under subsection (d-5). The rate in St. Clair County shall be 0.25% unless the Metro-East Mass Transit District in St. Clair County has an "airport-related purpose" and the additional 0.50% of the 0.75% tax on aviation fuel imposed in that County is expended for airport-related purposes. If there is no airport-related purpose to which aviation fuel tax revenue is dedicated, then aviation fuel is excluded from the additional 0.50% of the 0.75% tax.

The Board must comply with the certification requirements for airport-related purposes under Section 2-22 of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. For purposes of this Section, "airport-related purposes" has the meaning ascribed in Section 6z-20.2 of the State Finance Act. This exclusion for aviation fuel only applies for so long as the revenue use requirements of 49 U.S.C. 47107(b) and 49 U.S.C. 47133 are binding on the District.

The tax imposed under this Section and all civil penalties that may be assessed as an incident thereof shall be collected and enforced by the State Department of Revenue. The Department shall have full power to administer and enforce this Section; to collect all taxes and penalties so collected in the manner hereinafter provided; and to determine all rights to credit memoranda arising on account of the erroneous payment of tax or penalty hereunder. In the administration of, and compliance with, this Section, the Department and persons who are subject to this Section shall have the same rights, remedies, privileges, immunities, powers and duties, and be subject to the same conditions, restrictions, limitations, penalties, exclusions, exemptions and definitions of terms and employ the same modes of procedure, as are prescribed in Sections 1, 1a, 1a-1, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1i, 1j, 2 through 2-65 (in respect to all provisions therein other than the State rate of tax), 2c, 3 (except as to the disposition of taxes and penalties collected, and except that the retailer's discount is not allowed for taxes paid on aviation fuel that are subject to the revenue use requirements of 49 U.S.C. 47107(b) and 49 U.S.C. 47133), 4, 5, 5a, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5h, 5i, 5j, 5k, 5l, 6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act and Section 3-7 of the Uniform Penalty and Interest Act, as fully as if those provisions were set forth herein.

Persons subject to any tax imposed under the Section may reimburse themselves for their seller's tax liability hereunder by separately stating the tax as an additional charge, which charge may be stated in combination, in a single amount, with State taxes that sellers are required to collect under the Use Tax Act, in accordance with such bracket schedules as the Department may prescribe.

Whenever the Department determines that a refund should be made under this Section to a claimant instead of issuing a credit memorandum, the Department shall notify the State Comptroller, who shall cause the warrant to be drawn for the amount specified, and to the person named, in the notification from the Department. The refund shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of the Metro East Mass Transit District tax fund established under paragraph (h) of this Section or the Local Government Aviation Trust Fund, as appropriate.

If a tax is imposed under this subsection (b), a tax shall also be imposed under subsections (c) and (d) of this Section.

For the purpose of determining whether a tax authorized under this Section is applicable, a retail sale, by a producer of coal or other mineral mined in Illinois, is a sale at retail at the place where the coal or other mineral mined in Illinois is extracted from the earth. This paragraph does not apply to coal or other mineral when it is delivered or shipped by the seller to the purchaser at a point outside Illinois so that the sale is exempt under the Federal Constitution as a sale in interstate or foreign commerce.

No tax shall be imposed or collected under this subsection on the sale of a motor vehicle in this State to a resident of another state if that motor vehicle will not be titled in this State.

Nothing in this Section shall be construed to authorize the Metro East Mass Transit District to impose a tax upon the privilege of engaging in any business which under the Constitution of the United States may not be made the subject of taxation by this State.

(c) If a tax has been imposed under subsection (b), a Metro East Mass Transit District Service Occupation Tax shall also be imposed upon all persons engaged, in the district, in the business of making sales of service, who, as an incident to making those sales of service, transfer tangible personal property within the District, either in the form of tangible personal property or in the form of real estate as an incident to a sale of service. The tax rate shall be 1/4%, or as authorized under subsection (d-5) of this Section, of the selling price of tangible personal property so transferred within the district, except that the rate of tax imposed in these Counties under this Section on sales of aviation fuel on or after December 1, 2019 shall be 0.25% in Madison County unless the Metro-East Mass Transit District in Madison County has an "airport-related purpose" and any additional amount authorized under subsection (d-5) is expended for airport-related purposes. If there is no airport-related purpose to which aviation fuel tax revenue is dedicated, then aviation fuel is excluded from any additional amount authorized under subsection (d-5). The rate in St. Clair County shall be 0.25% unless the Metro-East Mass Transit District in St. Clair County has an "airport-related purpose" and the additional 0.50% of the 0.75% tax on aviation fuel is expended for airport-related purposes. If there is no airport-related purpose to which aviation fuel tax revenue is dedicated, then aviation fuel is excluded from the additional 0.50% of the 0.75% tax.

The Board must comply with the certification requirements for airport-related purposes under Section 2-22 of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. For purposes of this Section, "airport-related purposes" has the meaning ascribed in Section 6z-20.2 of the State Finance Act. This exclusion for aviation fuel only applies for so long as the revenue use requirements of 49 U.S.C. 47107(b) and 49 U.S.C. 47133 are binding on the District.

The tax imposed under this paragraph and all civil penalties that may be assessed as an incident thereof shall be collected and enforced by the State Department of Revenue. The Department shall have full power to administer and enforce this paragraph; to collect all taxes and penalties due hereunder; to dispose of taxes and penalties so collected in the manner hereinafter provided; and to determine all rights to credit memoranda arising on account of the erroneous payment of tax or penalty hereunder. In the administration of, and compliance with this paragraph, the Department and persons who are subject to this paragraph shall have the same rights, remedies, privileges, immunities, powers and duties, and be subject to the same conditions, restrictions, limitations, penalties, exclusions, exemptions and definitions of terms and employ the same modes of procedure as are prescribed in Sections 1a-1, 2 (except that the reference to State in the definition of supplier maintaining a place of business in this State shall mean the Authority), 2a, 3 through 3-50 (in respect to all provisions therein other than the State rate of tax), 4 (except that the reference to the State shall be to the Authority), 5, 7, 8 (except that the jurisdiction to which the tax shall be a debt to the extent indicated in that Section 8 shall be the District), 9 (except as to the disposition of taxes and penalties collected, and except that the returned merchandise credit for this tax may not be taken against any State tax, and except that the retailer's discount is not allowed for taxes paid on aviation fuel that are subject to the revenue use requirements of 49 U.S.C. 47107(b) and 49 U.S.C. 47133), 10, 11, 12 (except the reference therein to Section 2b of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act), 13 (except that any reference to the State shall mean the District), the first paragraph of Section 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 of the Service Occupation Tax Act and Section 3-7 of the Uniform Penalty and Interest Act, as fully as if those provisions were set forth herein.

Persons subject to any tax imposed under the authority granted in this paragraph may reimburse themselves for their serviceman's tax liability hereunder by separately stating the tax as an additional charge, which charge may be stated in combination, in a single amount, with State tax that servicemen are authorized to collect under the Service Use Tax Act, in accordance with such bracket schedules as the Department may prescribe.

Whenever the Department determines that a refund should be made under this paragraph to a claimant instead of issuing a credit memorandum, the Department shall notify the State Comptroller, who shall cause the warrant to be drawn for the amount specified, and to the person named, in the notification from the Department. The refund shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of the Metro East Mass Transit District tax fund established under paragraph (h) of this Section or the Local Government Aviation Trust Fund, as appropriate.

Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to authorize the District to impose a tax upon the privilege of engaging in any business which under the Constitution of the United States may not be made the subject of taxation by the State.

(d) If a tax has been imposed under subsection (b), a Metro East Mass Transit District Use Tax shall also be imposed upon the privilege of using, in the district, any item of tangible personal property that is purchased outside the district at retail from a retailer, and that is titled or registered with an agency of this State's government, at a rate of 1/4%, or as authorized under subsection (d-5) of this Section, of the selling price of the tangible personal property within the District, as "selling price" is defined in the Use Tax Act. The tax shall be collected from persons whose Illinois address for titling or registration purposes is given as being in the District. The tax shall be collected by the Department of Revenue for the Metro East Mass Transit District. The tax must be paid to the State, or an exemption determination must be obtained from the Department of Revenue, before the title or certificate of registration for the property may be issued. The tax or proof of exemption may be transmitted to the Department by way of the State agency with which, or the State officer with whom, the tangible personal property must be titled or registered if the Department and the State agency or State officer determine that this procedure will expedite the processing of applications for title or registration.

The Department shall have full power to administer and enforce this paragraph; to collect all taxes, penalties and interest due hereunder; to dispose of taxes, penalties and interest so collected in the manner hereinafter provided; and to determine all rights to credit memoranda or refunds arising on account of the erroneous payment of tax, penalty or interest hereunder. In the administration of, and compliance with, this paragraph, the Department and persons who are subject to this paragraph shall have the same rights, remedies, privileges, immunities, powers and duties, and be subject to the same conditions, restrictions, limitations, penalties, exclusions, exemptions and definitions of terms and employ the same modes of procedure, as are prescribed in Sections 2 (except the definition of "retailer maintaining a place of business in this State"), 3 through 3-80 (except provisions pertaining to the State rate of tax, and except provisions concerning collection or refunding of the tax by retailers), 4, 11, 12, 12a, 14, 15, 19 (except the portions pertaining to claims by retailers and except the last paragraph concerning refunds), 20, 21 and 22 of the Use Tax Act and Section 3-7 of the Uniform Penalty and Interest Act, that are not inconsistent with this paragraph, as fully as if those provisions were set forth herein.

Whenever the Department determines that a refund should be made under this paragraph to a claimant instead of issuing a credit memorandum, the Department shall notify the State Comptroller, who shall cause the order to be drawn for the amount specified, and to the person named, in the notification from the Department. The refund shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of the Metro East Mass Transit District tax fund established under paragraph (h) of this Section.

(d-5) (A) The county board of any county participating in the Metro East Mass Transit District may authorize, by ordinance, a referendum on the question of whether the tax rates for the Metro East Mass Transit District Retailers' Occupation Tax, the Metro East Mass Transit District Service Occupation Tax, and the Metro East Mass Transit District Use Tax for the District should be increased from 0.25% to 0.75%. Upon adopting the ordinance, the county board shall certify the proposition to the proper election officials who shall submit the proposition to the voters of the District at the next election, in accordance with the general election law.

The proposition shall be in substantially the following form:

Shall the tax rates for the Metro East Mass Transit District Retailers' Occupation Tax, the Metro East Mass Transit District Service Occupation Tax, and the Metro East Mass Transit District Use Tax be increased from 0.25% to 0.75%?

(B) Two thousand five hundred electors of any Metro East Mass Transit District may petition the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court, or any judge of that Circuit designated by the Chief Judge, in which that District is located to cause to be submitted to a vote of the electors the question whether the tax rates for the Metro East Mass Transit District Retailers' Occupation Tax, the Metro East Mass Transit District Service Occupation Tax, and the Metro East Mass Transit District Use Tax for the District should be increased from 0.25% to 0.75%.

Upon submission of such petition the court shall set a date not less than 10 nor more than 30 days thereafter for a hearing on the sufficiency thereof. Notice of the filing of such petition and of such date shall be given in writing to the District and the County Clerk at least 7 days before the date of such hearing.

If such petition is found sufficient, the court shall enter an order to submit that proposition at the next election, in accordance with general election law.

The form of the petition shall be in substantially the following form: To the Circuit Court of the County of (name of county):

We, the undersigned electors of the (name of transit district), respectfully petition your honor to submit to a vote of the electors of (name of transit district) the following proposition:

Shall the tax rates for the Metro East Mass Transit District Retailers' Occupation Tax, the Metro East Mass Transit District Service Occupation Tax, and the Metro East Mass Transit District Use Tax be increased from 0.25% to 0.75%?

Name Address, with Street and Number.

(C) The votes shall be recorded as "YES" or "NO". If a majority of all votes cast on the proposition are for the increase in the tax rates, the Metro East Mass Transit District shall begin imposing the increased rates in the District, and the Department of Revenue shall begin collecting the increased amounts, as provided under this Section. An ordinance imposing or discontinuing a tax hereunder or effecting a change in the rate thereof shall be adopted and a certified copy thereof filed with the Department on or before the first day of October, whereupon the Department shall proceed to administer and enforce this Section as of the first day of January next following the adoption and filing, or on or before the first day of April, whereupon the Department shall proceed to administer and enforce this Section as of the first day of July next following the adoption and filing.

(D) If the voters have approved a referendum under this subsection, before November 1, 1994, to increase the tax rate under this subsection, the Metro East Mass Transit District Board of Trustees may adopt by a majority vote an ordinance at any time before January 1, 1995 that excludes from the rate increase tangible personal property that is titled or registered with an agency of this State's government. The ordinance excluding titled or registered tangible personal property from the rate increase must be filed with the Department at least 15 days before its effective date. At any time after adopting an ordinance excluding from the rate increase tangible personal property that is titled or registered with an agency of this State's government, the Metro East Mass Transit District Board of Trustees may adopt an ordinance applying the rate increase to that tangible personal property. The ordinance shall be adopted, and a certified copy of that ordinance shall be filed with the Department, on or before October 1, whereupon the Department shall proceed to administer and enforce the rate increase against tangible personal property titled or registered with an agency of this State's government as of the following January 1. After December 31, 1995, any reimposed rate increase in effect under this subsection shall no longer apply to tangible personal property titled or registered with an agency of this State's government. Beginning January 1, 1996, the Board of Trustees of any Metro East Mass Transit District may never reimpose a previously excluded tax rate increase on tangible personal property titled or registered with an agency of this State's government. After July 1, 2004, if the voters have approved a referendum under this subsection to increase the tax rate under this subsection, the Metro East Mass Transit District Board of Trustees may adopt by a majority vote an ordinance that excludes from the rate increase tangible personal property that is titled or registered with an agency of this State's government. The ordinance excluding titled or registered tangible personal property from the rate increase shall be adopted, and a certified copy of that ordinance shall be filed with the Department on or before October 1, whereupon the Department shall administer and enforce this exclusion from the rate increase as of the following January 1, or on or before April 1, whereupon the Department shall administer and enforce this exclusion from the rate increase as of the following July 1. The Board of Trustees of any Metro East Mass Transit District may never reimpose a previously excluded tax rate increase on tangible personal property titled or registered with an agency of this State's government.

(d-6) If the Board of Trustees of any Metro East Mass Transit District has imposed a rate increase under subsection (d-5) and filed an ordinance with the Department of Revenue excluding titled property from the higher rate, then that Board may, by ordinance adopted with the concurrence of two-thirds of the then trustees, impose throughout the District a fee. The fee on the excluded property shall not exceed $20 per retail transaction or an amount equal to the amount of tax excluded, whichever is less, on tangible personal property that is titled or registered with an agency of this State's government. Beginning July 1, 2004, the fee shall apply only to titled property that is subject to either the Metro East Mass Transit District Retailers' Occupation Tax or the Metro East Mass Transit District Service Occupation Tax. No fee shall be imposed or collected under this subsection on the sale of a motor vehicle in this State to a resident of another state if that motor vehicle will not be titled in this State.

(d-7) Until June 30, 2004, if a fee has been imposed under subsection (d-6), a fee shall also be imposed upon the privilege of using, in the district, any item of tangible personal property that is titled or registered with any agency of this State's government, in an amount equal to the amount of the fee imposed under subsection (d-6).

(d-7.1) Beginning July 1, 2004, any fee imposed by the Board of Trustees of any Metro East Mass Transit District under subsection (d-6) and all civil penalties that may be assessed as an incident of the fees shall be collected and enforced by the State Department of Revenue. Reference to "taxes" in this Section shall be construed to apply to the administration, payment, and remittance of all fees under this Section. For purposes of any fee imposed under subsection (d-6), 4% of the fee, penalty, and interest received by the Department in the first 12 months that the fee is collected and enforced by the Department and 2% of the fee, penalty, and interest following the first 12 months (except the amount collected on aviation fuel sold on or after December 1, 2019) shall be deposited into the Tax Compliance and Administration Fund and shall be used by the Department, subject to appropriation, to cover the costs of the Department. No retailers' discount shall apply to any fee imposed under subsection (d-6).

(d-8) No item of titled property shall be subject to both the higher rate approved by referendum, as authorized under subsection (d-5), and any fee imposed under subsection (d-6) or (d-7).

(d-9) (Blank).

(d-10) (Blank).

(e) A certificate of registration issued by the State Department of Revenue to a retailer under the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act or under the Service Occupation Tax Act shall permit the registrant to engage in a business that is taxed under the tax imposed under paragraphs (b), (c) or (d) of this Section and no additional registration shall be required under the tax. A certificate issued under the Use Tax Act or the Service Use Tax Act shall be applicable with regard to any tax imposed under paragraph (c) of this Section.

(f) (Blank).

(g) Any ordinance imposing or discontinuing any tax under this Section shall be adopted and a certified copy thereof filed with the Department on or before June 1, whereupon the Department of Revenue shall proceed to administer and enforce this Section on behalf of the Metro East Mass Transit District as of September 1 next following such adoption and filing. Beginning January 1, 1992, an ordinance or resolution imposing or discontinuing the tax hereunder shall be adopted and a certified copy thereof filed with the Department on or before the first day of July, whereupon the Department shall proceed to administer and enforce this Section as of the first day of October next following such adoption and filing. Beginning January 1, 1993, except as provided in subsection (d-5) of this Section, an ordinance or resolution imposing or discontinuing the tax hereunder shall be adopted and a certified copy thereof filed with the Department on or before the first day of October, whereupon the Department shall proceed to administer and enforce this Section as of the first day of January next following such adoption and filing, or, beginning January 1, 2004, on or before the first day of April, whereupon the Department shall proceed to administer and enforce this Section as of the first day of July next following the adoption and filing.

(h) Except as provided in subsection (d-7.1), the State Department of Revenue shall, upon collecting any taxes as provided in this Section, pay the taxes over to the State Treasurer as trustee for the District. The taxes shall be held in a trust fund outside the State Treasury. If an airport-related purpose has been certified, taxes and penalties collected in St. Clair County on aviation fuel sold on or after December 1, 2019 from the 0.50% of the 0.75% rate shall be immediately paid over by the Department to the State Treasurer, ex officio, as trustee, for deposit into the Local Government Aviation Trust Fund. The Department shall only pay moneys into the Local Government Aviation Trust Fund under this Act for so long as the revenue use requirements of 49 U.S.C. 47107(b) and 49 U.S.C. 47133 are binding on the District.

As soon as possible after the first day of each month, beginning January 1, 2011, upon certification of the Department of Revenue, the Comptroller shall order transferred, and the Treasurer shall transfer, to the STAR Bonds Revenue Fund the local sales tax increment, as defined in the Innovation Development and Economy Act, collected under this Section during the second preceding calendar month for sales within a STAR bond district. The Department shall make this certification only if the local mass transit district imposes a tax on real property as provided in the definition of "local sales taxes" under the Innovation Development and Economy Act.

After the monthly transfer to the STAR Bonds Revenue Fund, on or before the 25th day of each calendar month, the State Department of Revenue shall prepare and certify to the Comptroller of the State of Illinois the amount to be paid to the District, which shall be the amount (not including credit memoranda and not including taxes and penalties collected on aviation fuel sold on or after December 1, 2019 that are deposited into the Local Government Aviation Trust Fund) collected under this Section during the second preceding calendar month by the Department plus an amount the Department determines is necessary to offset any amounts that were erroneously paid to a different taxing body, and not including any amount equal to the amount of refunds made during the second preceding calendar month by the Department on behalf of the District, and not including any amount that the Department determines is necessary to offset any amounts that were payable to a different taxing body but were erroneously paid to the District, and less any amounts that are transferred to the STAR Bonds Revenue Fund, less 1.5% of the remainder, which the Department shall transfer into the Tax Compliance and Administration Fund. The Department, at the time of each monthly disbursement to the District, shall prepare and certify to the State Comptroller the amount to be transferred into the Tax Compliance and Administration Fund under this subsection. Within 10 days after receipt by the Comptroller of the certification of the amount to be paid to the District and the Tax Compliance and Administration Fund, the Comptroller shall cause an order to be drawn for payment for the amount in accordance with the direction in the certification.

(Source: P.A. 100-23, eff. 7-6-17; 100-587, eff. 6-4-18; 101-10, eff. 6-5-19; 101-604, eff. 12-13-19.)