McHenry Times

Craig Wilcox introduced SB0137 in the Illinois Senate on Jan. 17, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, if the retailer or serviceman reports less than $50,000 in sales during the month for which the return is filed, then the vendor's discount for that retailer or serviceman shall be 3.5% (currently, 1.75%) of the amount collected or $5 per calendar year, whichever is greater. Effective immediately."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends various tax acts in Illinois to adjust the vendor's discount for retailers and servicemen. If a retailer or serviceman reports less than $50,000 in sales during the month, the vendor's discount increases from 1.75% to 3.5% of the tax collected or $5 per calendar year, whichever is greater, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Meanwhile, the discount cap from Jan. 1, 2025, shall not exceed $1,000 per month collectively across several tax acts, including local taxes. These changes, aiming to alleviate the administrative cost burden for small-volume retailers, apply also to specific tax scenarios involving motor fuel, aviation fuel, and transactions during sales tax holidays. The bill takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Craig Wilcox has proposed one other bill since the beginning of the 104th session.

Wilcox graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1989 with a BS.

Craig Wilcox is currently serving in the Illinois State Senate, representing the state's 32nd Senate District. He replaced previous state senator Pamela Althoff in 2018.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB0137	01/17/2025	Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, if the retailer or serviceman reports less than $50,000 in sales during the month for which the return is filed, then the vendor's discount for that retailer or serviceman shall be 3.5% (currently, 1.75%) of the amount collected or $5 per calendar year, whichever is greater. Effective immediately.
SB0140	01/17/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction for gratuities that are included in the taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income. Effective immediately.
SB0160	01/17/2025	Amends the Township Code. Provides that a township may regulate commercial wind energy facilities, commercial solar energy facilities, or both. Provides that a township may use any of its zoning powers in the regulation of commercial wind energy facilities and commercial solar energy facilities and may prohibit commercial wind energy facilities, commercial solar energy facilities, or both. Provides that a township's regulations over commercial wind energy facilities and commercial solar energy facilities shall prevail over county regulations but not over municipal regulations. Defines terms. Amends the Renewable Energy Facilities Agricultural Impact Mitigation Act making conforming changes. Effective immediately.
SB0171	01/17/2025	Amends the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act. Modifies the provisions of the Act to apply to veterans and veteran-owned businesses. Modifies a Section concerning the short title. Changes the title of the Act to the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, Veterans, and Persons with Disabilities Act, and makes conforming changes throughout various statutes referencing the title of the Act. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Removes a provision concerning procurement preferences for veterans and veteran-owned businesses. Applies administrative penalties for falsely certified businesses to minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with a disability. Defines terms. Makes conforming changes in various statutes concerning minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with a disability. Effective immediately.