§ 204 — Standard exemption

(a) Allowance of exemption. In computing net income under this Act, there shall be allowed as an exemption the sum of the amounts determined under subsections (b), (c) and (d), multiplied by a fraction the numerator of which is the amount of the taxpayer's base income allocable to this State for the taxable year and the denominator of which is the taxpayer's total base income for the taxable year. (b) Basic amount. For the purpose of subsection (a) of this Section, except as provided by subsection (a) of Section 205 and in this subsection, each taxpayer shall be allowed a basic amount of $1000, except that for corporations the basic amount shall be zero for tax years ending on or after December 31, 2003, and for individuals the basic amount shall be: (1) for taxable years ending on or after December 31, 1998 and prior to December 31, 1999, $1,300; (2) for taxable years ending on or after December 31, 1999 and prior to December 31, 2000, $1,650; (3) for taxable years ending on or after December 31, 2000 and prior to December 31, 2012, $2,000; (4) for taxable years ending on or after December 31, 2012 and prior to December 31, 2013, $2,050; (5) for taxable years ending on or after December 31, 2013 and on or before December 31, 2022, $2,050 plus the cost-of-living adjustment under subsection (d-5); (6) for taxable years ending on or after December 31, 2023 and prior to December 31, 2024, $2,425; (7) for taxable years ending on or after December 31, 2024 and on or before December 31, 2028, $2,050 plus the cost-of-living adjustment under subsection (d-5). For taxable years ending on or after December 31, 1992, a taxpayer whose Illinois base income exceeds the basic amount and who is claimed as a dependent on another person's tax return under the Internal Revenue Code shall not be allowed any basic amount under this subsection. (c) Additional amount for individuals. In the case of an individual taxpayer, there shall be allowed for the purpose of subsection (a), in addition to the basic amount provided by subsection (b), an additional exemption equal to the basic amount for each exemption in excess of one allowable to such individual taxpayer for the taxable year under Section 151 of the Internal Revenue Code. (d) Additional exemptions for an individual taxpayer and his or her spouse. In the case of an individual taxpayer and his or her spouse, he or she shall each be allowed additional exemptions as follows: (1) Additional exemption for taxpayer or spouse 65 years of age or older. (A) For taxpayer. An additional exemption of $1,000 for the taxpayer if he or she has attained the age of 65 before the end of the taxable year. (B) For spouse when a joint return is not filed. An additional exemption of $1,000 for the spouse of the taxpayer if a joint return is not made by the taxpayer and his spouse, and if the spouse has attained the age of 65 before the end of such taxable year, and, for the calendar year in which the taxable year of the taxpayer begins, has no gross income and is not the dependent of another taxpayer. (2) Additional exemption for blindness of taxpayer or spouse. (A) For taxpayer. An additional exemption of $1,000 for the taxpayer if he or she is blind at the end of the taxable year. (B) For spouse when a joint return is not filed. An additional exemption of $1,000 for the spouse of the taxpayer if a separate return is made by the taxpayer, and if the spouse is blind and, for the calendar year in which the taxable year of the taxpayer begins, has no gross income and is not the dependent of another taxpayer. For purposes of this paragraph, the determination of whether the spouse is blind shall be made as of the end of the taxable year of the taxpayer; except that if the spouse dies during such taxable year such determination shall be made as of the time of such death. (C) Blindness defined. For purposes of this subsection, an individual is blind only if his or her central visual acuity does not exceed 20/200 in the better eye with correcting lenses, or if his or her visual acuity is greater than 20/200 but is accompanied by a limitation in the fields of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual fields subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees. (d-5) Cost-of-living adjustment. For purposes of item (5) of subsection (b), the cost-of-living adjustment for any calendar year and for taxable years ending prior to the end of the subsequent calendar year is equal to $2,050 times the percentage (if any) by which: (1) the Consumer Price Index for the preceding calendar year, exceeds (2) the Consumer Price Index for the calendar year 2011. The Consumer Price Index for any calendar year is the average of the Consumer Price Index as of the close of the 12-month period ending on August 31 of that calendar year. The term "Consumer Price Index" means the last Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the United States Department of Labor or any successor agency. If any cost-of-living adjustment is not a multiple of $25, that adjustment shall be rounded to the next lowest multiple of $25. (e) Cross reference. See Article 3 for the manner of determining base income allocable to this State. (f) Application of Section 250. Section 250 does not apply to the amendments to this Section made by Public Act 90-613. (g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2017, no taxpayer may claim an exemption under this Section if the taxpayer's adjusted gross income for the taxable year exceeds (i) $500,000, in the case of spouses filing a joint federal tax return or (ii) $250,000, in the case of all other taxpayers.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 103-9, eff. 6-7-23.)