Scholarship Tax Credit Instructions

Create a MyTax Illinois account on mytax.illinois.gov. Anyone applying for a scholarship tax credit is required to have an account.

Go to https://mytax.illinois.gov
Click on the blue Individuals tab.
In the “Miscellaneous” section on the lower right, click on Request a Letter ID.
On the next screen, enter your social security number, and press Enter.
Enter your Illinois driver’s license number, state ID number, or prior-year adjusted gross income. Click Submit.
Enter your email address and click OK. A confirmation screen will appear. You should receive your Letter ID in the mail within the next week or two.

Apply for a tax credit on mytax.illinois.gov once you’ve received your Letter ID.

Locate the Login to My Tax Illinois box on the lower left and click on Sign Up Now.
Select how you want to activate your account (for example, using your social security number or license number) and fill it in. Hit Enter.
Select Yes to the question: “Are you trying to activate your My Tax Illinois Account for Individual Income Tax?”
Enter your Letter ID. It’s located in the middle of the letter you received in the mail and begins with “CNXXX”
Below the field where you entered your Letter ID, click on the blue link Look up my IL-PIN. On the next screen, fill in your social security number AND your driver’s license number, state ID number, or prior-year adjusted gross income. Tick the box that says, “I confirm that this information is associated with my Social Security number.” Click Conduct Inquiry
You will see your 8-digit IL-PIN. Write it down. Tap the X in the top corner.
Fill in your IL-PIN OR Prior Year Adjusted Income.
Enter your contact information, choose a username and password, select a security question and answer, and confirm your email and password. Write down your username and password and keep it in a safe place!
Scroll up to the top of the page and click the blue Submit button on the right to complete the form. You will see a confirmation page. Print it if you’d like. Click OK and you’ll be directed back to https://mytax.illinois.gov
Enter your username and password and click Log in. You will be prompted to enter an authorization code.
An email was automatically generated with the authorization code and sent to the email address you provided. Enter the authorization code and you will be directed to the landing page of your MyTax Illinois account.
Under “Accounts,” click on Individual.
On the next screen, select “I Want To…Contribute to Invest in Kids”. Tick the acknowledgment checkbox and click Next.
Under your name and address, fill in Region – Select Region 1 – Cook County from the drop-down menu. Fill in Scholarship Granting Organization – Select Empower Illinois from the drop-down menu.
Fill in your pledge amount and re-enter it in the box below. Tick the authorization checkbox and enter your email address. Submit.
Re-enter your MyTax password and click OK. A confirmation page will appear telling you that your application has been successfully submitted. Click OK and you’ll be redirected to your MyTax Illinois account homepage.

Save your Contribution Authorization Certificate:

From your MyTax Illinois account homepage, click on the blue Correspondence tab. Under “Unread Letters” on the right, click on Invest in Kids Contributn Appl. This may open a new tab in your browser; you may need to allow pop-ups for this website.
The file should have 2 pages: Page 1 is an approval of your application for a Contribution Authorization Certificate. Page 2 shows your donation details, including authorized contribution amount.
Download the file and save it in a place where you’ll be able to find it in the future, and name it something that you can easily identify.

Donate to the SGO within 60 days of receiving your application approval and the Contribution Authorization Certificate.

For Empower Illinois: Visit https://empowerillinois.org . Hover over Donors in the top-right corner, then click Donate.
Scroll down to the 3 donation options – check, stocks & bonds, online. If you are paying by check or stocks & bonds, fill out the form, print it and follow the instructions.
If you are paying online, click Donate Online, then click I have my certificate , select Region 1 for Cook County, and select whether you are a “corporation” or “individual.”
Individuals: Enter your Contribution Authorization Certificate Number. You can find it on the second-to-top line of the second page of the Contribution Authorization Certificate you saved earlier.
Enter your Donation Amount Total and click Next .
Designate your donation using the pull-down menu. Type the letter “T” to quickly locate Torah Academy.
Read the checkboxes and decide whether you want to check them in.
Click Next, then Select File. Locate your Certificate that you saved and upload it.
Click Make Online Donation Now. You will be redirected to a secure payment portal. Make your donation; the transaction is processed the next business day.

For Big Shoulders:

Email your Contribution Authorization Certificate to sgo@bigshouldersfund.org or mail it to Big Shoulders Fund (212 W. Van Buren, Suite 900 Chicago, IL 60607)
Click here to be taken directly to their donation portal.
Type or select your donation amount.
Indicate whether you are an Individual or Organization.
We recommend not making your donation anonymous, so we can say thanks!
We recommend selecting to limit your donation to a specific school, and then typing “Torah Academy of Buffalo Grove” as your school. Select “Yes” to let us know that you did it.
You can register for their newsletter if you wish or skip that part. Click Next.
Enter your payment information and process your donation.

Provide the certificate from the SGO to claim your tax credit when filing a 2020 return in 2021 or your 2021 return in 2022.

You can access the certificate 14 days after donating. It’s called the “Invest in Kids Cert. of Receipt” and is accessible from your MyTax account under Correspondence – View Letters.