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Gov. J.B. Pritzker is resetting the clock on penalties and
interest on state taxes for those who file for a waiver with the
Illinois Department of Revenue.
“To support those impacted across the state, I have signed a
disaster proclamation and the state will waive the penalties for
impacted taxpayers who need more time to file their state
taxes,” Pritzker said in a news release.
The program offers relief for those who qualify in counties
covered by the state's disaster proclamation and starts with a
request submitted electronically or through the mail.
"I think it is very helpful, and we applaud the governor for
taking action,” said Clark Kaericher, senior vice president of
Government Affairs with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. “When
you've lost your business or a big chunk of your building, and
you're trying to get contractors and you're trying to literally
get the lights back on, taxes fall by the wayside in priority."
The program will not sweep away state taxes, whether they be
income, withholding, sales or excise taxes, Kaericher said.
Eventually, these quarterly taxes will have to be paid, and
returns will have to be filed, but business owners will have the
opportunity to focus on getting to the point where they can hang
that open sign once again.
To kick off what Kaericher describes as a simple process,
taxpayers should send a brief explanation of why they need more
time to the Illinois Department of Revenue, including their
name, account number, mailing address and estimate of when they
will be back on track. Make those requests electronic to
REV.DisasterRelief@illinois.gov or send them through the mail
from the address associated with the tax return.
Acknowledging that businesses face a hard road, Kaericher urged
them to take the step to rebuild and become the lifeblood of
their communities once again.
"We would say, 'Good luck, your community needs you, you are the
bedrock of your community, rebuild your business,'" he said.
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