Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
a) Eligibility
1) Section 10-355 of the Property Tax Code
[35 ILCS
200/10-355] provides that, for taxable year 2002 and
thereafter, a fraternal organization, or its subordinate organization or
entity, may apply for a Fraternal Organization Assessment Freeze on property it
owns and uses, provided that it satisfies all of the following requirements in
either Group A or Group B:
A) Group A
i) was chartered in the State of Illinois in
February 1898;
ii) is an exempt
entity under section 501(c)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code (
26 USC
501(c)(8)); and
iii) has members who provide direct or
indirect financial support for charitable works, such as medical care, drug
rehabilitation, or education.
B) Group B
i) had its national headquarters in the State
of Illinois on December 31, 1926;
ii) is an exempt entity under section
501(c)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code (
26 USC
501(c)(8)); and
iii) has members who provide direct or
indirect financial support for charitable works, such as medical care, drug
rehabilitation, or education.
2) Section 10-350 of the Property Tax Code
provides that for taxable year 2001 and thereafter, a fraternal organization
chartered by the State of Illinois prior to 1900, or its subordinate
organization or entity, may apply for a Fraternal Organization Assessment
Freeze on property it owns and uses, provided that:
A) the fraternal organization prohibits
gambling and the use of alcohol on the property;
B) the fraternal organization is an exempt
entity under section 501(c)(10) of the Internal Revenue Code; and
C) the members of the fraternal organization
provide direct or indirect financial support for charitable works, such as
medical care, drug rehabilitation or education.
3) Section 10-360 of the Property Tax Code
[35 ILCS
200/10-360] provides that, for the taxable year 2003
and thereafter, a fraternal organization or its affiliated Illinois not for
profit corporation chartered prior to 1920 may apply for a Fraternal
Organization Assessment Freeze on property it owns or uses, provided that:
A) the fraternal organization is an exempt
entity under section 501(c)(2), (c)(8) or (c)(10) of the Internal Revenue Code;
and
B) the members of the fraternal
organization provide direct or indirect financial support for charitable works,
such as medical care, drug rehabilitation or education.
b) Applications
An application form (Form No. PTAX-764 for qualification under
Section 10-350 of the Property Tax Code [35 ILCS
200/10-350] , Form No. PTAX-765 for qualification
under Section 10-355 of the Property Tax Code [35 ILCS
200/10-355] and Form No. PTAX-766 for qualification
under Section 10-360 of the Property Tax Code [35 ILCS
200/10-360] ) for a Fraternal Organization Assessment
Freeze shall be obtained from the Chief County Assessment Officer in the county
in which the property is located. All questions on the application shall be
answered completely and the chief presiding officer of the fraternal
organization shall sign the form. Fraternal organizations shall annually submit
a notarized application form to the Chief County Assessment Officer on or
before January 31 of each assessment year in counties with a population of
3,000,000 or more and December 31 of each assessment year in all other
counties.
c) Documentation
Fraternal organizations shall, at a minimum, attach all
required documentation to the initial application form as follows:
1) For qualification under Section 10-350 of
the Property Tax Code [35
ILCS 200/10-350] as described under subsection
(a)(2), proof of being a qualified fraternal organization, such as a copy of:
A) a charter issued by the State of Illinois
prior to 1900;
B) a certification
that the fraternal organization was issued an Illinois charter prior to
1900;
C) a certification that the
fraternal organization was chartered by a qualified fraternal organization that
was issued an Illinois charter prior to 1900; or
D) a certification that the fraternal
organization is subordinate to a qualified fraternal organization that was
issued an Illinois charter prior to 1900.
2) For qualification under Section 10-355 of
the Property Tax Code [35
ILCS 200/10-355] as described for Group A under
subsection (a)(1)(A), proof of being a qualified fraternal organization, such
as a copy of:
A) a charter for the fraternal
organization in the State of Illinois in February 1898;
B) a certification that the fraternal
organization was chartered in the State of Illinois in February 1898;
C) a certification that the fraternal
organization was chartered by a qualified fraternal organization that was
chartered in the State of Illinois in February 1898; or
D) a certification that the fraternal
organization is subordinate to a qualified fraternal organization that was
chartered in the State of Illinois in February 1898.
3) For qualification under Section 10-355 of
the Property Tax Code [35 ILCS 200/10-355] as described for Group B under
subsection (a)(1)(B), proof of being a qualified fraternal organization, such
as a copy of:
A) historical records or other
evidence establishing that the fraternal organization had its national
headquarters in the State of Illinois on December 31, 1926;
B) a certification that the fraternal
organization had its national headquarters in the State of Illinois on December
31, 1926; or
C) a certification
that the fraternal organization is subordinate to a fraternal organization that
had its national headquarters in the State of Illinois on December 31,
1926.
4) For
qualification under Section 10-360 of the Property Tax Code [35 ILCS
200/10-360] as described under subsection (a)(3), proof of being a qualified
fraternal organization, such as a copy of:
A)
a charter issued by the State of Illinois prior to 1920;
B) a certification that the fraternal
organization was chartered in Illinois prior to 1920; or
C) a certification that the fraternal
organization was affiliated with a qualified fraternal organization that was
chartered in Illinois prior to 1920.
5) Proof of having exempt status under
section 501(c)(10) of the Internal Revenue Code (
26 USC
501(c)(10)) for
qualification under Section 10-350 of the Property Tax Code [35 ILCS
200/10-350] , or under section 501(c)(8) of the
Internal Revenue Code (
26 USC
501(c)(8)) for
qualification under Section 10-355 of the Property Tax Code [35 ILCS
200/10-355], or under section 501(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code (
26 USC
501(c)(2), (c)(8), (c)(10))
for qualification under Section 10-360 of the Property Tax Code [35 ILCS
200/10-360 ], such as a copy of:
A) a group
exemption letter from the Internal Revenue Service to a fraternal organization,
plus its annual filing to the Internal Revenue Service listing any other
fraternal organizations covered by the letter;
B) a U.S. Form 990; or
C) a determination letter issued in response
to U.S. Form 1024 by the Internal Revenue Service.
6) Proof of having ownership or other legal
or equitable interest in the property, such as a copy of:
A) a deed;
B) a contract-for-deed;
C) a trust document;
D) a title insurance policy;
E) an organizational agreement;
F) an incorporation document;
G) a court order; or
H) an affidavit of adverse
possession.
7) Copies of
leases or contracts concerning the property, if applicable.
d) Verification
The Chief County Assessment Officer of each county may verify
information contained on applications for a Fraternal Organization Assessment
Freeze by any of the following methods:
1) Requiring each applicant, at the time of
filing an application, to produce for inspection by the Chief County Assessment
Officer, or a designee, any or all of the documentation specified in
subsections (b) and (c);
2)
Establishing uniform audit guidelines and procedures for determining under what
circumstances additional documentation will be required from applicants and
what procedures will be used to obtain that documentation from
applicants;
3) Examining under oath
the affiant on the application or any other member of the fraternal
organization, chartered fraternal organization, or subordinate fraternal
organization; and
4) Examining any
public records or conducting an investigation to determine the identity of
persons using the property for the assessment year.