35 ILCS 120/1f
Except for High Impact Businesses, the exemption stated in Sections 1d and 1e of this Act shall only apply to business enterprises which:
In addition, from March 1, 2010 to July 31, 2012, the exemption stated in Sections 1d and 1e of this Act shall also apply to a business enterprise that (i) complied with the requirements specified in clause (1) above as of March 1, 2010, (ii) receives certification from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, (iii) was a Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity certified business enterprise in 2009, and (iv) retained a minimum of 500 full-time equivalent jobs in Illinois in 2009 and 2010, 675 full-time equivalent jobs in Illinois in 2011, 850 full-time equivalent jobs in Illinois in 2012, and 1,000 full-time equivalent jobs in Illinois in 2013; those jobs must have been created in the manufacturing sector as defined by the North American Industry Classification System.
Any business enterprise seeking to avail itself of the exemptions stated in Sections 1d or 1e, or both, shall make application to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity in such form and providing such information as may be prescribed by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. However, no business enterprise shall be required, as a condition for certification under clause (3) of this Section, to attest that its decision to invest under clause (1) of this Section and to locate under clause (2) of this Section is predicated upon the availability of the exemptions authorized by Sections 1d or 1e.
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall determine whether the business enterprise meets the criteria prescribed in this Section. If the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity determines that such business enterprise meets the criteria, it shall issue a certificate of eligibility for exemption to the business enterprise in such form as is prescribed by the Department of Revenue. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall act upon such certification requests within 60 days after receipt of the application, and shall file with the Department of Revenue a copy of each certificate of eligibility for exemption.
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall have the power to promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Section including the power to define the amounts and types of eligible investments not specified in this Section which business enterprises must make in order to receive the exemptions stated in Sections 1d and 1e of this Act; and to require that any business enterprise that is granted a tax exemption repay the exempted tax if the business enterprise fails to comply with the terms and conditions of the certification.
Such certificate of eligibility for exemption shall be presented by the business enterprise to its supplier when making the initial purchase of tangible personal property for which an exemption is granted by Section 1d or Section 1e, or both, together with a certification by the business enterprise that such tangible personal property is exempt from taxation under Section 1d or Section 1e and by indicating the exempt status of each subsequent purchase on the face of the purchase order.
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall determine the period during which such exemption from the taxes imposed under this Act is in effect which shall not exceed 20 years.
35 ILCS 120/1f