Program Description
 
The Illinois Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program is operated by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), in consultation with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA). DCEO shall determine the amount of eligible rehabilitation costs and expenses, and IHPA and the National Park Service (NPS) shall determine whether the rehabilitation is consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation (Standards). All work on the project (interior and exterior) must meet the Standards. Upon review of the completed project and its Certification by the NPS, DCEO shall issue a Certificate to the owner in the amount of eligible tax credits.

Program Requirements

Projects must meet the following five requirements:

1. The structure must be located within a River Edge Redevelopment Zone (designated portions of Aurora, East St. Louis, Elgin, and Rockford). To determine whether your property is within one of these four River Edge Redevelopment Zones, contact the city’s Zone administrator, whose contact information is listed on DCEO’s website.
2. The structure must be certified as historic, which means that it must meet one of these three criteria:

3. Qualified expenditures must equal or exceed $5,000 and must exceed 50% of the purchase price of the property when it last sold. If the owner is also applying for the 20% Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, that program’s minimum expenditure is $5,000 or the building’s adjusted basis, whichever is greater.
4. The structure must be used for income-producing purposes, such as rental-residential, commercial, agricultural, and/or industrial.
5. The qualified taxpayer / historic-structure owner must be in good standing with the Illinois Department of Revenue.

Application Process and Forms

The 25% state tax credit is designed to be used in conjunction with the 20% Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit. The three short forms of the state application (PARTS A, B and C) coordinate with the three parts of the federal application (PARTS 1, 2 and 3). It is anticipated that the vast majority of applicants will be applying for both the state and federal credit programs. Therefore, the state form has been designed to compliment and not duplicate the federal form. To access the program applications (Parts A, B, C, 1, 2 & 3), please click the application links listed below. Click here to see the NPS’s webpage on the 20% federal credit and to access its application. It is highly recommended that prior to construction, applicants discuss their projects with DCEO at 217-557-0513 (via email at [email protected]) or with IHPA at 217-524-0276. Two copies of the three parts of each application and all accompanying material must be mailed to IHPA at:

Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
Attn: Illinois Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program
Preservation Services Division
One Old State Capitol Plaza
Springfield, IL 62701

The basic application sequence is as follows:

1. The applicant mails two hardcopies of the following two forms and their accompanying information to IHPA. They must be approved prior to the completion of the project:

2. Preferably before construction commences, the applicant mails two hardcopies of these two forms and their accompanying information to IHPA:

It is highly recommended that applicants coordinate with IHPA early in the design process to ensure that the project will meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. Any work done prior to approval of the PART 2 will be at the owner’s own risk and could disqualify the project for both the state and federal credits. The National Park Services will charge applicants a $250 fee before it will review the PART 2; there is no charge at this stage for the PART B (state credit).

3. When construction is complete, the applicant mails two copies of the following form and its accompanying information to the IHPA:

The National Park Service will charge a fee before it reviews the PART 3. The fee is based on the project’s budget as follows, minus the $250 that was charged at the PART 2 stage: no additional fee for budgets between $5,000 and $19,999; $500 for budgets between $20,000 and $99,999; $800 for budgets between $100,000 and $499,999; $1,500 for budgets between $500,000 and $999,999; and $2,500 for budgets at or above $1,000,000.

4. When the applicant receives the NPS’s letter approving the federal tax credit, the applicant mails two copies of the following form to IHPA:

When the state tax credit certificate is issued, a fee of up to 2% of the value of the issued state tax credits will be collected from the applicant. DCEO will explain the fee process and the amount owed when the tax-credit certificate is issued.

5. Applicants must submit one completed ITR-1 form (“Request for Tax Clearance”) to the Illinois Department of Revenue by fax at 217-785-2643 or by mail at the following address:
   Illinois Department of Revenue
   Problems Resolution, (3-515)
   PO Box 19014
   Springfield, IL 62794-9014

Application submittal/workflow:

1. Applicant downloads both application forms.
2. Applicant completes and mails two copies of PART A and PART 1 and their supporting materials to IHPA.
3. IHPA forwards one PART A packet to DCEO and retains one.
4. IHPA processes PART 1 and sends one PART 1 packet to NPS and retains one. NPS sends a letter to applicant certifying the property as historic.
5. Applicant completes and mails two copies of PART B and PART 2 and their supporting materials to IHPA. These forms may be submitted simultaneously with PART A and PART 1.
6. IHPA reviews PART 2 for compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. IHPA may request additional documentation, suggest modifications to the project, or schedule a site inspection.
7. IHPA forwards one PART B to DCEO and retains one.
8. IHPA forwards one PART 2 packet to the NPS for review and retains one. The NPS invoices or charges the owner $250 to review PART 2.
9. NPS reviews PART 2 and sends a preliminary determination to the applicant that the proposed work meets (or does not meet) the Standards.
10. If work changes from the approved PART 2, the applicant submits two copies of a federal amendment sheet with supporting materials to IHPA. IHPA reviews, forwards one amendment packet it to NPS for review and retains one.
11. When construction is complete, applicant mails two copies of PART 3 and its supporting materials to IHPA.
12. IHPA reviews PARTS 3 to determine its concordance with the approved PART 2. IHPA may request additional documentation or a site visit.
13. When documentation is complete, IHPA forwards one PART 3 packet to NPS for review and retains one. NPS invoices or charges the applicant the remainder of the appropriate fee for its review of PART 3.
14. When NPS receives the fee, it reviews PART 3, approves it as meeting the Standards (or denies it), and returns it to the applicant.
15. When the applicant receives approved PART 3 from NPS, the applicant mails two copies of PART C and its supporting materials to IHPA.
16. Applicant completes the ITR-1 form and mails or faxes it to the Illinois Department of Revenue.
17. IHPA forwards one PART C packet to DCEO and retains one.
18. DCEO reviews PART C. If approved, DCEO requests from the applicant an issuance fee of 2% of the tax credit amount.
19. Applicant submits the fee to DCEO.
20. DCEO mails the tax credit certificate to the eligible owner.

Important Program and Agency Links:

For the specific program language in the law that establishes this program (Illinois Historic Preservation Public Act 097-0203), click here.

For the definitions for “Qualified Expenditures, Qualified Historic Structure & Qualified Taxpayer,” click here.

For the National Park Service’s webpage on the 20% credit and to access the federal application, click here.

For the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency’s website, click here.

For the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Agency's website, click here.

For information about DCEO’s River Edge Redevelopment Zones, click here.

Contact Us

For questions about the Illinois Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program, please contact DCEO at 217-557-0513 or via email at [email protected] or contact IHPA at 217-524-0276.

For questions about architectural work, the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, or the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit process, please contact IHPA at 217-524-0276 or via email at [email protected].