The ST-556 Illinois form is a Sales Tax Transaction Return required for reporting retail sales of items that must be titled or registered by an Illinois state agency, such as vehicles and trailers. All sellers engaging in these transactions must file this form, even if no tax is due, to avoid potential penalties. For assistance with completing the form, click the button below to get started.
The Illinois Department of Revenue's ST-556 form is a critical document for businesses engaged in retail sales of items that require title or registration by state agencies, including vehicles, watercraft, and trailers. This form must be filed for every retail sale of such items, regardless of whether sales tax is due. It is essential for sellers to understand that failure to file can result in penalties for unreported transactions. The ST-556 must be completed with specific details, including the purchaser's name and address, a description of the item sold, and the date of delivery. If a trade-in is involved, it must be documented correctly, as only qualified trade-ins can affect the taxable amount. Additionally, the form accommodates various exemptions, such as sales to non-residents or exempt organizations, which require specific information to be included. Sellers can file the ST-556 electronically through MyTax Illinois or request preprinted paper forms. In cases of errors on paper forms, sellers are instructed to mark them as "VOID" and retain them for their records. Understanding these requirements is vital for compliance and to avoid unnecessary penalties.
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This is incorrect. Any retail sale of items that must be titled or registered in Illinois requires the filing of Form ST-556, regardless of whether tax is due.
Form ST-556 can be filed electronically through MyTax Illinois. Paper forms are also available in limited quantities upon request.
If a mistake occurs on a preprinted Form ST-556, the correct action is to write "VOID" across the form and retain it for your records. Do not submit the voided form.
Both the seller and all purchasers must sign the return. This signature confirms that the title of any traded-in item has been properly assigned and surrendered.
A qualified trade-in can only be claimed if the item reduces the selling price of the item sold and is part of the seller's business inventory. Specific criteria must be met.
Nonresident purchasers must provide documentation to prove their nonresidency and certify their eligibility for exemption. This includes retaining a valid out-of-state driver's license.
Form ST-556 should not be used for items sold for lease. Instead, Form ST-556-LSE is designated for lease transactions.
For sales occurring on or after January 1, 2020, the trade-in credit for first division motor vehicles is capped at $10,000. This limit applies regardless of the actual value of the trade-in.
Illinois Department of Revenue
ST-556 Sales Tax Transaction Return Instructions (1) for Sales from Illinois Locations
General Information
Who must file Form ST-556?
If you sell items at retail in Illinois that are of the type that must be titled or registered by an agency of Illinois state government (i.e., vehicles, watercraft, aircraft, trailers, and mobile homes), you must report these sales on Form ST‑556, Sales Tax Transaction Return. Do not file Form ST‑556 if the item is being sold for lease. Instead, use Form ST‑556‑LSE, Transaction Return for Leases. Note, however, that you also must file Form ST‑556 if you are a leasing company selling such items at the end of a lease, but use the Form ST‑556 instructions for leasing companies selling at retail (ST‑556[2]) to assist you in completing the return properly.
Do I need to file Form ST-556 if no tax is due?
Yes. Anytime you sell an item at retail in Illinois that is of the type that must be titled or registered by an agency of Illinois state government, you must report the sale on Form ST‑556, regardless of whether you are reporting tax due. Failure to file Form ST‑556 as required subjects you to possible penalties for each transaction that goes unreported.
How can I file Form ST-556?
Form ST‑556 can be filed electronically using MyTax Illinois at mytax.illinois.gov. The Illinois Department of Revenue also issues preprinted paper forms in limited quantities. You can request preprinted returns by calling our Central Registration Division at 217 785-3707. You can also request preprinted returns using MyTax Illinois. Note that preprinted forms display information for each of your business locations. Related sales and use tax forms are available on our website at tax.illinois.gov.
What if I make a mistake while filling out a preprinted paper form?
If you make a mistake on a preprinted paper Form ST‑556, write “VOID” across the form. Keep the voided return in your records for at least 42 months. Do not send the form to us.
What if I need help?
If you need help, call us at 1 800 732-8866 or 217 782-3336, call our TDD‑telecommunications device for the deaf at
1 800 544-5304, or visit our website at tax.illinois.gov.
Specific Instructions
1 Enter the purchaser’s name and address
The purchaser’s name and address must be the same as the name and address on the application for title or registration. If there is more than one purchaser, be sure to enter each name.
2 Describe the item sold
Check the correct box (A – E) to show the type of item sold. If the type of item sold is not identified in boxes A – E, check box F and enter the type of item sold.
Check the correct box to show whether the item sold is new or used.
Next, enter the appropriate identification number for the item sold, such as a vehicle identification number (VIN) for vehicles, trailers, and mobile homes, a hull identification number (HIN) for watercraft, or (N) number for aircraft.
Finally, enter the year, make, body style, and model of the item sold.
Note: If you sold more than one type of item (e.g., a watercraft and a trailer) or more than one item of the same type (e.g., three motor vehicles) you generally must complete a separate Form ST‑556 for each item sold. If, however, you wish to report sales for resale or sales for use as rolling stock of more than one of the same type of item to the same purchaser with the same date of delivery, you may file Form ST‑556‑R, Resale and Rolling Stock Fleet Exemption Schedule, with a single Form ST‑556.
3 Enter the date of delivery
Enter the month, day, and year in which the purchaser took possession of the item.
Note: This return is due no later than 20 calendar days after the date of delivery.
4 Describe the trade-in, if any
If you did not claim a qualified trade‑in, skip this section and go to Section 5.
If you claimed a qualified trade‑in, enter the type of item traded in (e.g., automobile, truck, airplane, boat, trailer). Next, enter the appropriate identification number, year, make, body style, and model of the trade‑in.
What is a qualified trade-in? A qualified trade‑in is an item
•that the purchaser gives you to reduce the selling price (in part or in full) of the item sold;
•that you are allowed to subtract from the selling price; and
•that you are in the business of selling.
You are “in the business of selling” a particular kind of item if you hold yourself out to the public as being engaged in (or habitually engage in) selling such items.
Example: You may claim the trade‑in of a boat on an auto if you are in the business of selling both boats and autos.
However, you may not claim the trade‑in of a boat on an auto if you are in the business of selling only autos.
Note: For sales made on or after January 1, 2020, up to and including December 31, 2021, for purposes of calculating your Sales Tax due, you cannot claim trade‑in credit exceeding $10,000 for any first division motor vehicle that was traded in during the sale being reported on Form ST‑556. For sales made on or after January 1, 2022, the $10,000 trade‑in credit limit no longer applies.
ST‑556 (1) Instructions (R‑12/21)
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5 Exempt or sale to a nonresident
If the sale is to an Illinois resident and also taxable, skip this section and go to Section 6.
If the sale is exempt from tax, check the correct box (A – F), and complete Section 6, Lines 1 and 2.
If the sale is to a nonresident purchaser who is subject to tax
(i.e., a non‑reciprocal purchaser), complete box A as instructed below and complete all of Section 6.
If you are not required to submit title or registration paperwork on the item, send the return directly to us at:
ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
RETAILERS’ OCCUPATION TAX
PO BOX 19042
SPRINGFIELD IL 62794-9042
A. Sold to a nonresident purchaser
Check this box if you sold an item to a nonresident purchaser who is not an out‑of‑state dealer, and who took possession of the item in Illinois, and either
•you issued a drive‑away permit for the item sold; or
•the purchaser transferred out‑of‑state license plates to the item sold.
If you issued a drive‑away permit, enter the drive‑away permit number and the two-letter state abbreviation of the purchaser’s state of residence in the space provided. If the purchaser transferred current out‑of‑state license plates to the item sold, enter the out‑of‑state license plate number and the two-letter state abbreviation in the space provided.
Non-Reciprocal Buyer
Exemption is determined by whether the purchaser’s state gives Illinois residents a nonresident purchaser exemption on their purchases of items that will be titled in Illinois. See ST‑58, Reciprocal ‑ Non‑Reciprocal Vehicle Tax Rate Chart, available on our website at tax.illinois.gov, and the instructions for Section 6, Line 4 below for more information.
Note: If you claim the nonresident purchaser exemption, keep a copy of the purchaser’s valid out‑of‑state driver’s license in your records as proof of nonresidency. You also are responsible for obtaining a signed certification documenting the purchaser’s eligibility for the nonresident purchaser exemption. As a condition of claiming this exemption, nonresident purchasers must certify that they are not residents of Illinois. See ST‑588, Nonresidency Exemption Certification for Sales and Leases of Motor Vehicles and Trailers, available on our website at tax.illinois.gov. Retain this certification in your records as proof that no tax was due on the sale of the specified item.
Indiana Purchaser of an RV or Cargo Trailer
If you sell a recreational vehicle or a cargo trailer to a purchaser that will title or register that item in Indiana, the transaction is exempt from Illinois tax if a drive‑away permit is issued or the Indiana purchaser has vehicle registration plates to transfer to the item upon returning to Indiana. You must check Section 5, box F, “Other” and enter “recreational vehicle” or “cargo trailer” on the line provided.
B. Sold for resale to a DEALER
Check this box if you sold the item to either an Illinois or out‑of‑state dealer for resale.
•If you sold to an Illinois dealer, enter the dealer’s account ID number in the space provided.
•If you sold to an Illinois dealer as junk or salvage or for parts, enter “Junked,” “Salvage,” or “Parts Only” after the account ID number.
•If you sold to an out‑of‑state dealer, enter “Out‑of‑State Dealer” in the space provided for the account ID number.
Keep a completed Form CRT‑61, Certificate of Resale, in your books and records for documentation.
C. Sold to an exempt organization
Check this box if you sold the item to an exempt organization that has an active Illinois Sales Tax exemption “E” number, such as:
•a governmental body
•a school
•a religious organization
•a charitable organization
In the space provided, enter the organization’s active Illinois Sales Tax exemption “E” number. The purchaser must be the organization itself rather than a member or officer of the organization. The item must be titled or registered in the organization’s name and paid for with the organization’s funds. The organization’s exemption number must have been in effect on the day you made the sale.
D. Sold to an interstate carrier for hire for use as rolling stock Check this box if you sold an item for use as rolling stock to haul persons or commodities for hire in interstate commerce. In the space provided, enter the certificate of authority number. Keep
a properly completed Form RUT‑7, Rolling Stock Certification, in your books and records for documentation.
E. Sold for rental use
Check this box if
•you sold the item to a business that is registered to collect Automobile Renting Occupation Tax; and
•the purchaser will use the item for rental purposes in rental agreements of one year or less.
Enter the purchaser’s Illinois Automobile Renting Occupation Tax account ID number.
F. Other
Check this box if the sale is exempt for a reason not identified in boxes A – E.
For example:
•You sold a recreational vehicle or cargo trailer to a purchaser that will title and register the item in Indiana and you have issued a drive‑away permit or the Indiana purchaser has vehicle registration plates to transfer to the item upon returning to Indiana. In the space provided, enter “recreational vehicle” or “cargo trailer.”
•You delivered (or caused to be delivered) an item to a purchaser outside Illinois. In the space provided, enter “Delivered Out‑of‑State.”
•You sold the item to a foreign consul who has a card from the U.S. Department of State declaring that the foreign consul does not have to pay sales tax on that item. In the space provided, enter “Foreign Consul.”
•You will use the item for your own interim use. For the item to remain exempt from sales or use tax, it must remain in your sales inventory and be available for sale at all times. In the space provided, enter “Interim Use”.
If you have aircraft or watercraft that you have purchased for resale in your sales inventory and you use these items for demonstration or business purposes, you must pay Illinois Use Tax on your cost price of these items if you hold them for more than 18 months. If you later sell the items and collect Illinois Sales Tax, you cannot claim credit for any Illinois Use Tax you may have paid.
6 Enter the price, and figure the tax
Note: When completing Section 6, round to the nearest dollar by dropping amounts of less than 50 cents and increasing amounts of 50 cents or more to the next higher dollar.
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Line 1 Enter the selling price, including accessories, federal excise taxes, freight and labor, dealer preparation, documentary fees, and any rebates or incentives for which you as a dealer receive reimbursement. Do not subtract the value of any rebate made directly to the customer. In general, any cost passed on to the customer as part of the sale of an item and for which gross receipts are received should be included in the selling price. Note: If you are selling a new truck weighing 33,000 pounds
or more or a new trailer or semitrailer chassis weighing 26,000 pounds or more, you may exclude the federal excise tax from the selling price.
Line 2 If you claimed a qualified trade‑in (see Section 4), enter the total trade‑in credit or value (see Note below). You must identify the traded‑in item in the spaces provided in Section 4. If you claimed an exemption in Section 5 and no tax is due, you do not need to complete the remaining Lines 3 – 14 of Section 6. Remember that you and all purchasers must sign the return.
Line 3 Subtract Line 2 from Line 1.
Line 4 Calculate your tax due using the following to determine the appropriate rate:
•If you made this sale at your standard business location (i.e., the location printed on the front of the paper
Form ST‑556 returns the Department issues to you), multiply Line 3 by the tax rate printed on your return.
•If you made this sale at an off‑site location (e.g., a tent sale), follow the instructions on ST‑23, How to Report Off‑Site Sales on Form ST‑556, Sales Tax Transaction Return, or Form ST‑556‑LSE, Transaction Return for Leases, available on our website at tax.illinois.gov.
•If you made this sale to a nonresident who is taking delivery of the item in Illinois but who will title it in a state that does not have a reciprocal nonresident purchaser exemption
for Illinois residents, multiply Line 3 by the nonresident’s state sales tax rate, up to 6.25 percent. See ST‑58, Reciprocal ‑ Non‑Reciprocal Vehicle Tax Rate Chart, available on our website at tax.illinois.gov.
Note for business locations in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, or Will County when the customer’s address is in Chicago:
If your sales location is in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, or Will County and the purchaser’s address on Form ST‑556, Section 1, is within the corporate limits of the city of Chicago, you must collect an additional 1.25 percent (.0125) Chicago Home Rule Use Tax. To help you calculate the tax due on one of these sales, we preprint a combined rate below Line 4 on the paper Form ST‑556 returns the Department issues to you. This combined rate includes your tax rate, plus the additional 1.25 percent Chicago Home Rule Use Tax. To figure the correct tax due, multiply the amount subject to tax on Line 3 by the combined rate. Enter the result on Line 4.
Line 5 - Read these instructions if your buyer’s address is in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, Madison, or St. Clair County.
If the item will be titled or registered in an area in which tax has been imposed by the Regional Transportation Authority or Metro‑East Transit District, the purchaser may owe additional tax. If your sales location is within the boundaries of one of these areas, the additional tax is already included in your combined tax rate. If, however, your sales location falls outside these boundaries, you are not required to collect any additional use tax, but you may do your purchaser the courtesy of collecting the additional tax so that the purchaser will not be billed for it later.
If you have determined that the purchaser is subject to the additional use tax and you have decided to collect and remit that additional tax on the purchaser’s behalf, multiply the amount on Line 3 by any difference in rates (expressed as a decimal), and enter the result on Line 5. Finally, enter the name of the Illinois county in which the purchaser’s address is located. If the purchaser’s address falls within the limits of an Illinois city or village, enter the name of the city or village. If the purchaser’s address falls within Madison or St. Clair County, enter the name of the township in which the address is located.
Do not report municipal or county home rule use tax on Line 5. Line 6 Add Lines 4 and 5.
Line 7 If you are filing this return and paying the tax due within 20 days of the date of delivery entered in Section 3, multiply Line 6 by the rate printed on your return.
Note: Line 7a is preprinted only if you have a business location in the Metro-East Mass Transit District portion of St. Clair County.
Line 7a The Illinois Department of Revenue is responsible for collecting and administering the fee imposed in the Metro‑East Mass Transit District on items that are required to be titled or registered in Illinois. Multiply Line 3 by 0.5 percent (0.005).
•If the result is less than $20, enter the result on Line 7a.
•If the result is $20 or more, enter $20 on Line 7a.
Line 8 Subtract Line 7 from Line 6. If you calculated an amount on Line 7a according to the above instruction, subtract Line 7 from Line 6, and then add to that total the amount on Line 7a.
Line 9 If we have notified you that you have an overpayment credit on your account, you may use this overpayment credit to pay some or all of the tax due on this return. Enter the amount you wish to use.
Line 10 This credit is applicable only to lessors selling previously leased items at the expiration of the lease term. See Form ST‑556 instructions for leasing companies selling at retail (ST‑556[2]) for instructions on how to claim a credit for tax paid on an item you are now selling at the end of a lease.
Line 11 If you collected more tax than is due on this sale, enter the amount you overcollected.
Line 12 Subtract Lines 9 and 10 from Line 8 and add Line 11.
Line 13 If you have a credit memorandum and you wish to use it towards what you owe, enter the amount you are using on Line 13.
Line 14 Subtract Line 13 from Line 12, and enter the amount due. Also, enter the identifying number from the remittance you are sending to pay the tax due on this return. If you are filing more than one Form ST‑556, enclose a separate remittance for each return.
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Sign the return
Both the seller and all purchasers must sign the return.
If you claimed a qualified trade‑in for the item sold, the signatures also declare that the title of the traded‑in item has been properly assigned and surrendered to the seller.
Penalty and Fee Information
We will bill you for any amounts owed, including the following penalties and fees:
•You owe a late filing penalty if you do not file a processable return by the due date.
•You owe a late payment penalty if you do not pay the amount you owe by the original due date of the return.
•You owe a bad check penalty if your remittance is not honored by your financial institution.
•You owe a cost of collection fee if you do not pay the amount you owe within 30 days of the date printed on a bill that we send you.
•You owe a nonfiling penalty for transaction returns if you do not file a processable transaction return (ST‑556, Sales Tax Transaction Return, or ST‑556‑LSE, Transaction Return for Leases) by the due date, but only if no tax is due on the return.
For more information, see Publication 103, Penalties and Interest for Illinois Taxes, available on our website at tax.illinois.gov.
Printed by authority of the State of
Illinois
200 copies, PO #: 2220140
Page 4 of 4
When filling out the ST-556 Illinois form, there are important dos and don’ts to keep in mind to ensure accuracy and compliance. Here’s a helpful list:
Filling out the ST-556 form is a necessary step for reporting sales of items that require registration in Illinois. This guide provides clear instructions to ensure accurate completion of the form, helping to avoid potential penalties for unreported sales.