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MyLocalTax FAQs

These FAQ’s are a supplement for Informational Bulletin FY 2019-17, New Online Portal for Local Government Accounts and Training Materials for Local Government Officials. You can Download these FAQs as a printable PDF.

For any questions related to this material, please send a message via your MyLocalTax account or contact LTAD directly using the contact information at the bottom of the Training Materials for Local Government Officials page.

1. How many people in our office need a MyLocalTax account?

For security purposes, you should not share your login information, so each person that may perform tasks in MyLocalTax should sign up for a separate login. It is completely up to you how many users your office needs. You are not limited on the number of basic accounts that can be registered to your local government. Confidential accounts are limited to the individuals listed on your information exchange agreement.

2. Why do you need my cell phone number to register for MyLocalTax?

Each time you sign into MyLocalTax from a new device, you will be asked to complete an authentication process. You can receive the authentication code via email or text, and you will have the option to choose the method by which you receive the code. Your cell phone number will only be used if you choose to receive the code via text. If the number you enter is not a cell phone number, please do not choose to receive the code via text message. Please remember that you have the ability to log in to MyLocalTax from any device, so if you do not have access to your work email when you are away from the office, you may need to receive that code via text message.

3. What is our ordinance location number and local taxing district number?

Your ordinance location number is an eight-digit number that you can find by searching your local government using Illinois Department of Revenue's (IDOR) tax rate database. This number can also be found on your monthly Tax Location Verification letter in the top left-hand corner, beginning on page 3.

 

If you receive your Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT) disbursements via paper check, your local taxing district number is listed on the check. If you view the PPRT spreadsheets on our website, your local taxing district number is listed there as well.

 

Please note, there is also a question mark icon to the right of this section when you register which directs you where to find these numbers.

4. What is the difference on MyLocalTax between confidential access and basic access?

Confidential access is only given to those individuals that are listed on your local government's information exchange agreement. Individuals with confidential access can request allocation remittance reports and view correspondence that contains confidential information. In the most recent update, those with confidential access can now also submit rebate sharing agreements and certified ordinances and resolutions. Those functions are the only difference between the two access types. Individuals with basic access can perform any of the other functions available on MyLocalTax, such as entering or amending a rebate sharing agreement, ordering a taxpayer listing, or verifying tax locations. For more information on information exchange agreements, see the Reciprocal Agreement on Exchange of Information page in the Local Tax Allocation area of IDOR's website.

5. Why would IDOR deny a MyLocalTax registration?

Confidential access is only granted to individuals listed on their local government's information exchange agreement. If your municipality imposes a telecommunications tax, you must also have a telecom information exchange agreement on file and be listed on that agreement.

 

If you were denied, your government either does not have an information exchange agreement, has an information exchange agreement but has not completed the annual recertification, or does not have an updated sales and/or telecom agreement on file. For more information on information exchange agreements, see the Reciprocal Agreement on Exchange of Information page in the Local Tax Allocation area of IDOR's website.

6. I've received and viewed a new message or letter, but when I returned to view it again, it was gone. Where did my letter/message go?

Both unread messages and letters appear on the Action Center tab. If you do not have any unread messages or letters, you will need to go to the "More" tab and then choose either "View Messages" or "View Letters" to view your previously read messages and letters. These tabs contain copies of all messages or correspondence sent to you by IDOR.

7. If my municipality is in more than one county, is the MyLocalTax registration process the same?

If your municipality is in more than one county, you will need to register for a separate account for each county your municipality is part of. When ordering reports or completing tasks in MyLocalTax, you will need to do so for each account to complete the process for your entire municipality.

 

Also, if you happen to work for more than one local government, you will need to set up a separate account for each location.

8. Where on MyLocalTax can I find such functions as ordering reports and verifying tax locations?

Once you logon to your MyLocalTax account, the summary tab lists the frequently used tasks for each account type (Allocation, Business District(s), Personal Property Replacement Tax). If the task you are looking for is not listed there, click the "View More Account Options" link, then you will see the entire list of tasks for that account type under "Account Options."

9. Why am I getting a message on an allocation period stating "Allocations Unavailable?"

Allocations for a given reporting period are not available until all distributions have been made during that month. If you have received your first distribution, you will be able to view the allocation totals received from the distribution. You will not be able to order an allocation remittance report until all distributions have been made during that month. You will not receive notification that your allocations are available other than your receipt of the second distribution.

10. What period do I need to order the allocation remittance report for?

There is a four-month cycle for distributions. For example, for sales made in December, December is the liability month. The tax return for December's sales is filed and paid in January, which is the collection month (also known as the allocation month). The tax returns are then processed by IDOR in February, which is the processing month. Finally, IDOR makes distributions to the local governments in March, which is the disbursement month. You must order the report for the allocation month, so in this example, if you are interested in viewing tax disbursements for December's sales, you would order the report for January.

11. Has MyLocalTax changed the tax location verification (TLV) process?

Yes. The Tax Location Verification web application no longer exists. You still have the option of responding to your monthly TLV by making notations on your letter and mailing it back, but we suggest using MyLocalTax to complete your monthly TLV report.

 

Due to time savings created by the implementation of MyLocalTax, the staff of LTAD is now verifying as many locations as possible each month using our GIS software and property tax bills. These locations will be reported on your letter as "Verified by LTAD." To view these sites in MyLocalTax, use the link labeled "Respond to Tax Location Verification." In doing so, you will have the option to "Agree" or "Disagree" with LTAD's verification. If you agree, that location will drop from MyLocalTax. If you disagree, the location will move into the next portion of the verification process. If you frequently disagree with LTAD's verification, please contact our office using the information below. It is possible that your jurisdiction's boundaries have changed and updates need to be made.

 

The remaining businesses on your letter, if there are any, will either be labeled "New/Reinstated" or "Discontinued." To verify these locations, use the "Verify Tax Locations" link in MyLocalTax. In doing so, you will have the opportunity to tell us where the location belongs, that is, whether it is within your jurisdiction or belongs to another jurisdiction. Locations that you disagreed with in the previous step can also be labeled in this section.

 

Please note that the focus of the TLV process is the address. LTAD needs you to verify whether or not the address is within your jurisdiction. Also, if you do not agree that a business has been discontinued, please review your taxpayer listing to verify that there is not a business listed at that address. The business could be listed as discontinued because updates were made to their registration.

12. Why have I not received my tri-annual report?

With the implementation of MyLocalTax, LTAD has stopped mailing CDs containing the tri-annual reports. You can only receive allocation remittance reports through MyLocalTax from this point forward. MyLocalTax allows you to order reports as often as you wish instead of waiting four months for the information.

13. Why have I not received my annual taxpayer listing?

Annual taxpayer listings are not automatically mailed anymore. They are available through your MyLocalTax account. If you do not have a MyLocalTax account, please contact LTAD using the information below to receive your annual taxpayer listing via email.

14. Due to the Leveling the Playing Field Act, our local government now receives tax revenue from online sales as well. How do we tell the difference between online sales revenue and revenue from our brick and mortar stores?

Both online sales and sales by brick and mortar stores are reported on the same form, the ST-1 Sales and Use Tax and E911 Surcharge Return. For this reason, we do not have a distinction between the two types of revenue. However, there are steps that you can take to get a better idea of where your revenue is coming from. First of all, on both allocation remittance reports and taxpayer listings, there is a column labeled "Type." Please focus on the changing locations (CL) in that column. Many of those were added due to Leveling the Playing Field (LPF). You may also find in the "Business Name" column on your remittance reports that list your local government as a destination. These are also there because of LPF. Finally, you can order a 12-month annual report with February 2021 as the last period. Then look for entries that show no distributions until that February 2021 period, as that was the first allocation period that LPF revenues were distributed. You may want to check subsequent periods as well, because not all businesses started filing correctly right away. This won't give you a breakdown with 100% accuracy between the two types of sales, but by focusing on changing locations that did not generate revenue for your local government before the February 2021 allocation period, you will gain a better understanding of the revenue generated by LPF.

Where do I get help?

Visit: LTAD's web page.

Write to:

LOCAL TAX ALLOCATION DIVISION (3-500)
ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
101 W JEFFERSON ST
SPRINGFIELD IL 62702

Email: rev.localtax@illinois.gov

Phone: 217 785-6518
Fax: 217 785-6527