A tax is imposed upon persons engaged in this State in the business of renting automobiles in Illinois at the rate of 5% of the gross receipts received from such business. The tax herein imposed does not apply to the renting of automobiles to any governmental body, nor to any corporation, society, association, foundation or institution organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious or educational purposes, nor to any not for profit corporation, society, association, foundation, institution or organization which has no compensated officers or employees and which is organized and operated primarily for the recreation of persons 55 years of age or older. Every person engaged in this State in the business of renting automobiles shall apply to the Department (upon a form prescribed and furnished by the Department) for a certificate of registration under this Act. The certificate of registration which is issued by the Department to a retailer under the Retailers’ Occupation Tax Act shall permit such rentor to engage in a business which is taxable under this Section without registering separately with the Department.
     The Department shall have full power to administer and enforce this Section, to collect all taxes and penalties due hereunder, to dispose of taxes and penalties so collected in the manner hereinafter provided, and to determine all rights to credit memoranda, arising on account of the erroneous payment of tax or penalty hereunder. In the administration of, and compliance with, this Section, the Department and persons who are subject to this Section shall have the same rights, remedies, privileges, immunities, powers and duties, and be subject to the same conditions, restrictions, limitations, penalties and definitions of terms, and employ the same modes of procedure, as are prescribed in Sections 1, 1a, 2 through 2-65 (in respect to all provisions therein other than the State rate of tax), 2a, 2b, 2c, 3 (except provisions relating to transaction returns, electronic filing of returns, and quarter monthly payments), 4, 5, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5i, 5j, 6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 11a, 12 and 13 of the Retailers’ Occupation Tax Act and Section 3-7 of the Uniform Penalty and Interest Act as fully as if those provisions were set forth herein.