SB1794: LOCAL GOV-UTILITIES

Legislative Summary

Reinserts the provisions of the engrossed bill with changes. In provisions amending the Local Government Taxpayers' Bill of Rights Act, provides that a notice of determination of tax due or assessment (removing the limitation in the engrossed bill to utility taxes) may be issued more than 5 years (rather than 7 years in the engrossed bill) after the end of the calendar year for which the return or the period was filed or the end of the calendar year in which the return for the period was due, whichever occurs later. Provides that a timely performed audit or review shall toll the applicable 5-year period for a period of not more than 1 year. Makes other changes. In provisions amending the Illinois Municipal Code relating to a municipality's tax review of a public utility: specifies information that may be requested by the municipality related to premises-specific and other information used by the public utility to determine the amount of tax due to the municipality; revises provisions relating to information that may be collected related to the premises address for customer accounts; provides that the public utility shall attempt to resolve any questions or issues that arise in the tax review without disclosing any customer-specific information and provides that the public utility or municipality may pursue questions or issues before the Department of Revenue; modifies provisions relating to penalties that a public utility can face related to a tax review; modifies provisions relating to the public utility liability to the municipality for unpaid taxes; adds provisions relating to using a web portal rather than email to receive notice of annexations and boundary changes and provisions relating to the Department of Revenue developing and publishing a written process to be used by each public utility and each municipality that imposes a specified tax; and makes other changes. In provisions concerning the Public Utilities Act, makes changes in provisions concerning customer information. Effective immediately.