Sycamore businesses will be required to share state tax documents with the city next year, following a unanimous vote from the Sycamore City Council Monday.

Beginning Jan. 1, any person or establishment required to file a local tax return with the city of Sycamore also will need to provide the corresponding forms submitted to the Illinois Department of Revenue, according to city documents. Amendments to those state tax documents will also need to be submitted to the city.

In an email to elected officials and City Manager Michael Hall, Sycamore Finance Director Kristian Dominguez wrote that there was no formal requirement for all businesses to provide copies of their state tax filings to the city.

“As a result, the city is unable to independently verify that the amounts reported to the state align with the local tax remitted,” Dominguez wrote. “This creates potential gaps in oversight and may limit the city’s ability to ensure full compliance with local tax obligations.”

Hall said not every business was previously required to share state tax documents with the city the way restaurants, hotels and gas stations have.

“What we’re asking those businesses to do is – the documents they give to the state, is simply copy us on those documents," Hall said. “That’ll clarify that we’re receiving the exact amount that we should be.”

Businesses subject to Sycamore’s restaurant and bar tax, hotel tax or local motor fuel tax were already required to file a local tax return with the city, according to city documents. Those tax documents report the gross receipts from the sale of prepared food, alcoholic beverages, hotel stays and gasoline sales.

First Ward Alderwoman Alicia Cosky asked Hall if the city had previously required businesses to share the state tax document. He said it was some businesses, but not all.

“It’s something that we’ve been doing in practice, but there are a couple of businesses that have told us that ‘Well, we don’t have to give you those documents,’” Hall said. “This just clarifies that we need to see their documents to make sure the math that they’re doing makes sense.”

Sycamore businessman, Christopher Mitchell – the owner of MVP Sports Bar, 124 S. California St., and Ollie’s Frozen Custard, 2290 Oakland Drive – was visibly unhappy with the City Council’s decision.

During the Sycamore City Council’s discussion, Mitchell gave multiple thumbs-down gestures. He declined an interview after the ordinance passed.