§ 229 — Data center construction employment tax credit

(a) A taxpayer who has been awarded a credit by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity under Section 605-1025 of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is entitled to a credit against the taxes imposed under subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of this Act. The amount of the credit shall be 20% of the wages paid during the taxable year to a full-time or part-time employee of a construction contractor employed by a certified data center if those wages are paid for the construction of a new data center in a geographic area that meets any one of the following criteria: (1) the area has a poverty rate of at least 20%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; (2) 75% or more of the children in the area participate in the federal free lunch program, according to reported statistics from the State Board of Education; (3) 20% or more of the households in the area receive assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year Estimates; or (4) the area has an average unemployment rate, as determined by the Department of Employment Security, that is more than 120% of the national unemployment average, as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor, for a period of at least 2 consecutive calendar years preceding the date of the application. For taxable years ending before December 31, 2023, if the taxpayer is a partnership, a Subchapter S corporation, or a limited liability company that has elected partnership tax treatment, the credit shall be allowed to the partners, shareholders, or members in accordance with the determination of income and distributive share of income under Sections 702 and 704 and subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable. For taxable years ending on or after December 31, 2023, if the taxpayer is a partnership or a Subchapter S corporation, then the provisions of Section 251 apply. The Department, in cooperation with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, shall adopt rules to enforce and administer this Section. This Section is exempt from the provisions of Section 250 of this Act. (b) In no event shall a credit under this Section reduce the taxpayer's liability to less than zero. If the amount of the credit exceeds the tax liability for the year, the excess may be carried forward and applied to the tax liability of the 5 taxable years following the excess credit year. The tax credit shall be applied to the earliest year for which there is a tax liability. If there are credits for more than one year that are available to offset a liability, the earlier credit shall be applied first. (c) No credit shall be allowed with respect to any certification for any taxable year ending after the revocation of the certification by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Upon receiving notification by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity of the revocation of certification, the Department shall notify the taxpayer that no credit is allowed for any taxable year ending after the revocation date, as stated in such notification. If any credit has been allowed with respect to a certification for a taxable year ending after the revocation date, any refund paid to the taxpayer for that taxable year shall, to the extent of that credit allowed, be an erroneous refund within the meaning of Section 912 of this Act.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 103-396, eff. 1-1-24 .)