Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
Third-party notices tell you if a relative or anyone you know misses a tax payment By Maria Pappas My office lets you sign up a relative or anyone you know receive copies of certified notices that are mailed a month before the Annual Tax Sale if your property taxes become delinquent. You can also register…
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Collections fall after record south suburban property tax increases, Treasurer Pappas reports More property owners failed to pay their property taxes on time following record increases in south suburban residential tax bills this year, according to an analysis by the Office of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. The spike in south suburban tax delinquencies, combined…
Want to go paperless? eBilling lets you receive Cook County tax bills via email By Maria Pappas Cook County property owners can sign up for eBilling for themselves or family members to receive property tax bills via email instead of print copies by snail mail. The eBilling option offers the convenience of allowing spouses to…
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Apply for a refund yourself and keep the money you would have paid to a third party By Maria Pappas Some Cook County homeowners are bombarded with ads and solicitations from vendors offering help to obtain refunds on their property taxes. My office has about $93 million available in potential refunds for property tax overpayments…
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Change in law lets tax breaks automatically renew for homeowners with disabilities By Maria Pappas State lawmakers have made it easier for people with disabilities to continue receiving property tax relief on an annual basis. Cook County homeowners who receive the Persons with Disabilities Exemption no longer have to reapply for the benefit every year….
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Illinois expands property tax breaks for veterans to include World War II vets By Maria Pappas Illinois lawmakers have enacted significant changes to property tax exemptions benefiting veterans, including a landmark provision for those who served during World War II. These amendments, effective for the 2024 tax year, underscore our commitment to supporting our veteran…
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Financial planning tool offers free online help to budget late tax payments By Maria Pappas Property owners who were unable to pay their tax bills in full by the Aug. 1 due date need not worry about losing their home – at least not right away. As a homeowner you have time to pay off…
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Pappas: New Payment Plan Calculator helps homeowners pay late taxes in smaller increments to avoid ‘merciless’ Annual Tax Sale Cook County property owners have a free financial planning tool that can help them pay off their past-due property tax bills and avoid the “merciless” Annual Tax Sale, Treasurer Maria Pappas said today. A Payment Plan…
Sale-in-error study shows how tax buyers transfer wealth from low-income areas By Maria Pappas My office redesigned this year’s property tax bills to clearly show where your tax dollars go. On the front of every bill, you can see how much of your hard-earned money goes to each taxing body What is less visible, however,…
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Treasurer Maria Pappas sending $22 million in automatic refunds to more than 10,000 who overpaid property taxes Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas is sending more than $22 million in automatic refunds to more than 10,000 property owners who overpaid their property taxes last year. “For many senior citizens and others, the value of tax breaks…
Paying tax bill online is easy and safe, but you can also pay by mail or in person By Maria Pappas Property owners face an Aug. 1 due date to pay their Second Installment 2023 tax bills. Many homeowners authorize their mortgage company to pay their two annual property tax installments from an escrow account….
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Read your property tax bill Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas urges homeowners Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas urges homeowners hit by record property tax hikes to see ‘Where Your Money Goes’ by visiting her website which provides details and comparisons on where increases occurred Cook County taxpayers should read their property tax bills to better…
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Homeowners shocked by tax hikes should read bills to find out where their money goes By Maria Pappas Record-high increases in property tax bills have shocked and angered many Cook County property owners, especially in the south suburbs. Second Installment 2023 bills are online at cookcountytreasurer.com and arriving in mailboxes in early July. Bills are…
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Treasurer Maria Pappas analysis shows record-high property tax increases for south suburban homeowners Homeowners in many south and southwest suburbs will have to pay a lot more in property taxes as the median tax bill jumped a record 19.9% in the region, according to an analysis released today by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. The…
You may be owed a refund for overpaying property taxes during past 20 years By Maria Pappas My office is sitting on about $93 million in potential refunds for property tax overpayments going back 20 years. Most overpayments occurred because more than one person paid the same tax bill twice. Reasons why duplicate payments occurred…
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Treasurer Maria Pappas featured in Women and Leadership Archives at Loyola University Chicago More than 34,000 documents, multimedia files and other items highlighting the career accomplishments of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas are featured in the Women and Leadership Archives at Loyola University Chicago. A five-minute video that captures Pappas’ achievements and her desire to…
Here’s why your tax bill tells you about government debt and pensions By Maria Pappas I do not determine your property taxes. My job as county treasurer is to bill, collect and distribute that money to pay for local government services. Local governments typically rely on property taxes to fund payrolls and other day-to-day expenses….
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Treasurer’s website offers easy way to update property tax bill address information By Maria Pappas My website, cookcountytreasurer.com, offers people an easy way to correct, change or update name and address information about where property tax bills are mailed. The best option is to electronically request the change online. You may request a change in…
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