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Property Tax Pointers: 10 Must-Know Tips for Homeowners
By Maria Pappas
As Cook County Treasurer, I’ve learned that the property tax system can be confusing and intimidating. To help, I’ve created 10 tips to better understand your property taxes.
- Familiarize yourself with the Cook County Treasurer’s Office Website
Visit cookcountytreasurer.com, your one-stop shop for property taxes. That’s where you can pay online for free, change your name and address and find out if any money is owed to you.
It’s also where you can access and download your bills and review the tax history of your property going back 20 years.
- Know Your PIN
Your 14-digit Property Identification Number or PIN is on your tax bill and property deed. It is unique to each of the 1.8 million properties in Cook County. You will need your PIN to pay your bill, so keep it handy!
- Understand the Billing Cycle
Property tax bills are divided into two installments a year. The first installment covers 55 percent of the previous year’s taxes and is typically due in early March. The second installment includes your exemptions. It’s usually due around August 1.
- Check for Refunds and Exemptions
My office has over $150 million in unclaimed refunds. Check cookcountytreasurer.com to see if you’ve overpaid in the past 20 years or missed any exemptions. Homeowners, senior citizens and disabled persons and veterans may be eligible for missing exemptions going back four years. No third-party assistance is needed to apply for refunds or missing exemptions.
- Keep Your Information Current
It’s important to keep your information up to date to ensure that you receive your bill on time. If you moved or changed your name, please update your contact information at cookcountytreasurer.com.
- Find 24/7 Support In Your Language
It’s a priority for my office to reach people in their own language. That’s why our phone system operates 24/7 in English, Spanish and Polish at (312)443-5100.
Our website can be translated into over 240 languages. We also offer informational brochures that can be downloaded in English and 27 other languages.
- Decide How You Want To Pay
You can pay online through your bank account for free. If you pay with a credit card, a 2.1 percent fee is charged by the card company. Payments are also accepted at nearly 400 Chase Bank branches and 160 community banks across the region. You can also drop your bill in the mail or pay at our office located on the first floor of the County building at 118 N. Clark St. in Chicago.
- Determine If You Need A Payment Plan
If you get behind on your taxes, you can set up a payment plan by using our free Payment Plan Calculator at cookcountytreasurer.com. This tool helps you set up monthly or bi-monthly payments.
- Monitor Your Mortgage Escrow Account
If your property taxes are paid through an escrow account, ensure timely and accurate payments are being made by regularly checking the account.
- See Where Your Money Goes
The first installment features your taxing district debt and shows whether obligations to the school district, town or other taxing district are unfunded. The second installment has a taxing district breakdown that shows how much each agency is taxing your property and where those tax dollars are being spent.
By following these tips, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the Cook County property tax system and hopefully save some money.
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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