Illinois Special Construction Tax

kxmotox247 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-01-2012, 08:58 PM

Anyone have any idea how this works? How do they figure sales tax on a home built / special construction motorcycle in Illinois. I keep seeing stuff that says you pay the sales tax fee but what is it or how do they figure it?

ECM Guru · #2 (**permalink**) 03-02-2012, 01:53 PM

I am outside Chicago and did this last spring. It takes 4-6 weeks, so be prepared to wait 6-8 weeks. I really wasn't bad and the all the people i talked to were actually really nice and cooperative.

-What you'll need is 4 pictures of the motorcycle (1 of each side)
-A letter of construction (explaining how it was built and who did the work)
-a detailed spreadsheet of every you purchased, paid tax for, not paid tax for. (or as much as you'd like to "claim" you spent. keep all your receipts together.
-the MSO's for the Frame, Motor, Trans.
-an application for vehicle transactions (you can get at the dmv) just leave the vin #'s and stuff blank.
-and a ST-44 illinois Tax use return from. This is where you figure out how much tax you have to send them

2 checks. one for the vehicle registration, and one for the taxes.

mail it all to

Illinois Secretary of State Police
Attn: special vehicle/street Rod
110 E. Adams
Springfield, IL 62701

I hope this helps. The locals at my dmv weren't much help. gave me the wrong tax forms and wrong information.

This is what you need. The Secretary of State police will review the information and let you know if you have an document issues. Then they mail it to a State police headquarter near your area. Then they call you and set up an appt for an inspection.

they checked the headlight/tailight worked. Horn, turn signals if present, check for baffles in exshaust (he reached up and felt inside). Plate must be horizontal and visible from behind from both sides.

If it is all well, they stamp the ILL VIN # in the neck of you freshly painted bike. They will ask before they come out that want a 1/2" wide by 2-2.5" long area on the right side of the neck stripped of paint and bare metal. Hopefully you prepared for that and didn't forget that part when you painted the frame.

Then your Free to Ride after you get your temp plates. i had to pick them up the next day, call for insurance, and you are RIDING! and then fixing, and then riding, and then fixing... lol.

Good Luck! if you have any questions, let me know.

-

kxmotox247 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-02-2012, 03:53 PM

Thanks for the info!

So do you keep all your reciepts for the other stuff?

My tailight is horizontal on the left side. I wonder if seeing the tailight thru the wheel counts? You can easily see it from the left and probably see it pretty good thru my spoke wheel on the other.

kxmotox247 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-02-2012, 03:55 PM

What kind of pipes do you have? I've got a set with baffles but I don't think they're quiet. Basically a set of V&H short shots. Was the inspector cool?

pan63 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-02-2012, 04:39 PM

we've had a few inspected - comes to the house, makes sure lights work, plate horizontal, etc- never have been asked to even start them. Just checks for baffles. Very simple process, as long as you fill out forms correctly.

ECM Guru · #6 (**permalink**) 03-06-2012, 09:54 AM

You keep all the recepts, don't send them in. I have a set of V&H big radius pipes, and they are pretty loud. But they don't make you start the bike, they just look at it and feel for baffles in the pipes.

My inspectors (two actually came) were pretty cool. I BS's with them while they were stamping my frame. Heck, they even gave my kids (3&5) a look inisde the police car and plastic badges. I asked them why we can't have a vertical plate, and he said they don't want to have to turn their heads to read the plate. Fair enough.

After they left, i swapped out my license plate mount from the horizontal mount, to the vertical mount I planned on using all along. No complaints last year for it.

dblcz · #7 (**permalink**) 03-06-2012, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ECM Guru

I am outside Chicago and did this last spring. It takes 4-6 weeks, so be prepared to wait 6-8 weeks. I really wasn't bad and the all the people i talked to were actually really nice and cooperative.

-What you'll need is 4 pictures of the motorcycle (1 of each side)
-A letter of construction (explaining how it was built and who did the work)
-a detailed spreadsheet of every you purchased, paid tax for, not paid tax for. (or as much as you'd like to "claim" you spent. keep all your receipts together.
-the MSO's for the Frame, Motor, Trans.
-an application for vehicle transactions (you can get at the dmv) just leave the vin #'s and stuff blank.
-and a ST-44 illinois Tax use return from. This is where you figure out how much tax you have to send them

2 checks. one for the vehicle registration, and one for the taxes.

mail it all to

Illinois Secretary of State Police
Attn: special vehicle/street Rod
110 E. Adams
Springfield, IL 62701

I hope this helps. The locals at my dmv weren't much help. gave me the wrong tax forms and wrong information.

This is what you need. The Secretary of State police will review the information and let you know if you have an document issues. Then they mail it to a State police headquarter near your area. Then they call you and set up an appt for an inspection.

they checked the headlight/tailight worked. Horn, turn signals if present, check for baffles in exshaust (he reached up and felt inside). Plate must be horizontal and visible from behind from both sides.

If it is all well, they stamp the ILL VIN # in the neck of you freshly painted bike. They will ask before they come out that want a 1/2" wide by 2-2.5" long area on the right side of the neck stripped of paint and bare metal. Hopefully you prepared for that and didn't forget that part when you painted the frame.

Then your Free to Ride after you get your temp plates. i had to pick them up the next day, call for insurance, and you are RIDING! and then fixing, and then riding, and then fixing... lol.

Good Luck! if you have any questions, let me know.

-

EMC GURU,
That is the best summary I've seen on the process. I did all that last summer and almost to the point did the same stuff. Pretty much everyone was pleasant and helpful on the states side. Only thing different was that they had me start my bike. Just let it idle and never hit the throttle. I don't remember is he checked for baffles.
Also I was lucky that I had mine inspected before paint. In the process of stamping the neck, he dropped the punch (after hitting his finger with the hammer) on the fender a couple of times. My VIN look like one of those spam filter controllers with the numbers all rotated and out of line.

Chris Z

P.S. I hope someone saves this description of the process for IL somewhere on here.

pan63 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-07-2012, 02:36 PM

we alwas protect fenders, etc with MANY terry cloth towels - just to prevent such an accident, such as a dropped stamp or hammer, from happening. We happily volunteer to hold the bike steady while he's stamping.

kxmotox247 · #9 (**permalink**) 03-07-2012, 06:08 PM

Thanks to all who have replied. Much appreciated. They told me I had to have it painted to even get it registered. My frame is powdercoated so it'll be a pain to remove the strip neccesary for stamping. I sure wish they could just use a decal like other states. Or even just the MSO numbers that are already on the frame.

Sounds like the state is reasonable to work with on the motorcycle titles. The street rod title program doesn't work this smoothly. Not even close.

kxmotox247 · #10 (**permalink**) 03-31-2012, 06:32 AM

Well... I called over yesterday with a few questions. I wanted to make sure that there were no questions about my paperwork. The dude who processes the paperwork is not a friendly fellow. He started getting irritated right off the bat. The "packet" that was sent to me says they require 4 photos (front, back, and both sides). It doesn't say color. So I asked. I got a total smartass answer. I began to ask what the estimated time is to process this...and he cut me off by saying that there was no estimated time frame. He said they have applications that range in age from 2 weeks to 6 months. WTF? I don't want to be a 6 month wait.
So heads-up to anyone with a "packet" from 2011. They have revised the process and he is sending me a 2012 packet. I'm going to be sick if there are any substancial changes to policy such as requiring turn signals, speedometer, etc... I built mine to abide by 2011 regulations and apparently some things have changed.
I will update all with what the differences are when I find out. Why the hell do they make shit difficult? I'll gladly pay the damn taxes and fees. Just send me a title and plates without the hassle.

smithco41 · #11 (**permalink**) 04-25-2012, 07:53 PM

what is the number you called for the packet ? i just finished mine and will be going
through the same process thanks

kxmotox247 · #12 (**permalink**) 04-26-2012, 07:45 PM

217-785-4692
Ask for Nicholas. My first impression was that he was very impatient with my questions. In the end, he seems like a good guy with a lot to do. Also, it's CYA over there. Nobody wants to get in trouble making a decision in a gray area. Call and ask for him to send you the packet. He had mine to me in 4 or 5 days.

This is the statement of construction form (will be in your packet):
http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/pu...ons/vsd843.pdf

My advice on filling this out is to pay close attention to your MSO's and bills of sale. Technically you only need a bill of sale for the engine and trans. Bonus if you have the MSO. On my delkron MSO, I wrote the serial number from the case as the serial number on the form. I left the vehicle identification number blank for the trans. Well... since the MSO referred to the number I wrote as the identification number... he said I worte it in the wrong spot. Had to correct it. Sort of the same deal with my S&S engine. I only had a bill of sale. I took the case number off it and wrote it as the serial numer. Left the VIN spot blank. He said I forgot to write in the VIN number. So I said that there is no VIN because it's aftermarket...only the serial number. So then he asked for proof that the number I gave him is a serial number and not a VIN. I called S&S and got something in writing from them.
You have to explain any deviation from the form in the space at the bottom.

I hope the info helps!

smithco41 · #13 (**permalink**) 04-29-2012, 07:26 AM

thanks for getting back to me , have you had your inspection yet? I also have vance hines short shots and hope they are not a problem. also do have to bring it to them or do they come to you? thanks again

kxmotox247 · #14 (**permalink**) 04-29-2012, 08:08 AM

No, they haven't done an inspection yet. I've heard from some people that they still come to the house and other people that say that due to cutbacks...you have to bring it to them. I haven't heard anything but it's only been a week since my paperwork passed through. I guess I'll wait another week to call back over to find out what's going on.

I can't decide if I want them out at my house or not. They may be more leniant if they drive out to see it and the pipes are too loud. If I go to an inspection station or something it's no sweat off their back to tell me to come back with more quiet exhaust. Plus they might have onlookers who the inspector wants to impress by being a hardass or something.
The benefit of coming to the house is I can put the damn thing on a lift and make their job 10 times easier to stamp the neck. The easier for them.... the better.

Taking it to them.... I bet inspection can be done much sooner.

pan63 · #15 (**permalink**) 04-29-2012, 10:26 AM

not sure why so concerned about the pipes - like ECMGuru said, and our experience with them numerous times, NEVER asked for bike to be started - and as long as you have baffles (they will check that they are in) you shouldn't have a problem. Last two we did with the state had "modified" Martin Bros. pipes, w/ tiny baffles - nothing near the size of the Vane and Hines baffles.

Only a week since your paperwork? You'll be waiting more than another week or two, I'm betting. They've had staff cutbacks, and they also have additional inspections - including trailers now. Keep us up to date - whatever you do, bite your tongue. It should go smoothly, as long as it was put together well. They see alot of POS.