What is the sales tax deduction and what is the retailer’s role?
Each retailer who makes a qualified sale of building materials to be incorporated into real estate in an enterprise zone established by a county or municipality under the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act by remodeling, rehabilitation or new construction, may deduct receipts from such sales when calculating the tax imposed by this Act. For purposes of this Section, “qualified sale” means a sale of building materials that will be incorporated into real estate as part of a building project for which a Certificate of Eligibility for Sales Tax Exemption has been issued by the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR). To document the exemption allowed under this Section, the retailer must obtain from the purchaser a copy of the Certificate of Eligibility for Sales Tax Exemption issued by IDOR. Here is a link to the IDOR bulletin outlining the process for receiving the building material sales tax exemption:
http://www.revenue.state.il.us/Publications/Bulletins/2013/FY-2013-16.pdf
Do all retailers offer a point of sale exemption?
No. Retailers are not required by law to participate. The purchaser must ask the retailer for cooperation on this incentive. Retailers have, however, demonstrated good cooperation throughout the history of this program, as this incentive permits them to give customers a “break” without cost to themselves.