CHICAGO – State Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, is spotlighting an Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) tax amnesty program that is offering local taxpayers the opportunity to eliminate delinquent taxes that may be owed to the state without penalty.

“The burden of an outstanding tax debt weighs not only on that individual, but also on our economy because it can prevent otherwise eligible people from being able to make critical investments in their own life, such as purchasing a home or a car,” Harper said. “The Tax Amnesty Program gives local taxpayers the ability to make good on their debt.”

The Harper-backed law, Senate Bill 689, created the IDOR’s Tax Amnesty Program to give consumers and businesses the chance to pay back taxes without penalties and interest. To be eligible for the program, the tax liability must have occurred between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2018 and a taxpayer must pay their entire outstanding tax liability from the period covered by the amnesty. Additional information on liabilities that qualify for amnesty and payment options can be found at tax.illinois.gov.

“Anyone who owes overdue taxes to the State of Illinois should use this opportunity to pay back what they owe without interest or penalties,” Harper said. “I encourage any local taxpayer who may have a tax debt to check their eligibility and take advantage of the Tax Amnesty Program.”

Harper represents the 6th District, which includes all or portions of Armour Square, Bridgeport, Chicago Lawn, Englewood, Gage Park, Back of the Yards, Canaryville, New City, West Englewood, Marquette Park, South Loop and River North.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, is promoting a new tax amnesty program, which will relieve financial burdens on middle-class families by offering a window to pay off back taxes without late fees or interest charges.

“The hard-working taxpayers in our community have a chance to pay off back taxes without the extra strain of interest payments and tacked-on fees,” Carroll said. “Our families deserve better than a mountain of debt that they can never overcome. I want to build a stronger Illinois, where everyone has financial opportunity to thrive, and paying off your debts is a positive step in that direction.”

Carroll backed a recent law, Senate Bill 689, which creates an opportunity for any taxpayer who owes back taxes from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2018, to pay back their full debt without any late fees or interest payments. More information on the program is available on the Illinois Department of Revenue’s website, tax.illinois.gov.

“Illinois taxpayers have had to put up with an unfair tax burden for years; that some people couldn’t keep up with their taxes isn’t a shock,” Carroll said. “Now those people have a chance to start fresh. I will keep fighting to build a better system based on a balanced budget and fairer property taxes so more people can afford to own homes.”

​CALUMET CITY, Ill. – State Rep. Thaddeus Jones, D-Calumet City, is informing local taxpayers of a new tax amnesty program which will ease the financial burden on working and middle-class families by offering an opportunity to pay off back taxes without interest or late fees.

“Late fees and extra costs can make back taxes impossible to pay off, but right now, taxpayers have an opportunity to pay down back taxes without any extra costs,” Jones said. “Our working families don’t have to live with the stress of old debts hanging over their head.”

Jones helped pass Senate Bill 689, which creates an opportunity for any taxpayer who owes back taxes from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2018, to pay back their full debt without any late fees or interest payments. More information on the program is available on Illinois Department of Revenue’s website, tax.illinois.gov.

“Many honest, hardworking people can have a hard time keeping up with taxes, including a lot of self-employed professionals and small business owners in our community,” Jones said. “I’m working to ease the burden by creating property tax refunds for people who need it most, or making the rich pay their fair share in income taxes.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. John Connor, D-Lockport, is informing local taxpayers of a new tax amnesty plan run by the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR), which will ease financial strain on working and middle-class families by offering an opportunity to pay off back taxes without interest or late fees applied.

“A large tax debt turns into an endless treadmill of debt when interest payments and late fees keep paying off the debt just out reach.  Now taxpayers have the chance to get out from under that burden,” Connor said. “Living with massive debt that is only getting bigger is stressful, and that’s the kind of pressure that working families trying to make ends meet don’t need.”

Connor helped pass Senate Bill 689, which creates an opportunity for any taxpayer who owes back taxes from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2018, to pay back their full debt without any late fees or interest payments. More information on the program is available on IDOR’s website, tax.illinois.gov.

“Unfair income taxes, sky-high property taxes; for too long, our communities have had to give up too much of their money. It’s not a surprise that some people couldn’t make all their payments,” Connor said. “We’re taking big steps to relieve that tax burden, and we’re going to keep working to build a stronger Illinois with economic opportunities for everybody. Our communities don’t deserve to keep paying the price for taxes from years ago.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  – State Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, D-Chicago, is highlighting an upcoming tax amnesty program offered by the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR), which offers local taxpayers the opportunity to eliminate back taxes that may be owed to the state without penalty.

“For whatever reason someone may owe back taxes, a tax amnesty program gives them the ability to become current and relieve a debt,” Lilly said. “The weight of outstanding taxes not only burdens an individual with a tax debt, but it can also harm our economy by preventing otherwise eligible people from being able to make critical investments in their life, such as purchasing a home.”

The IDOR tax amnesty program was created as part of a Lilly-backed law, Senate Bill 689, and gives consumers and businesses the opportunity to pay outstanding taxes with penalties and interested waived if the tax liability occurred between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2018. In order to have interest and penalties waved, a taxpayer must pay all outstanding tax from the period covered by the amnesty. Taxpayers who failed to file tax returns during the applicable amnesty period and those who need to make changes to previously filed returns are eligible for the program. Additional information on tax liabilities that qualify for amnesty and payment options can be found at IDOR’s website, tax.illinois.gov.

“If you’ve made a mistake and you owe back taxes to the state of Illinois, now is the time to become current. You can pay what owe and do it without interest or penalty payments,” Lilly said. “I highly encourage anyone who has a tax debt to the state to check their eligibility for this amnesty program.”