Category: Maria Pappas

Senior freeze exemptions help prevent huge spikes in property tax bills

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Senior freeze exemptions help prevent huge spikes in property tax bills

Senior freeze exemptions help prevent huge spikes in property tax bills By Maria Pappas Many senior citizens on fixed incomes face the challenge of managing their property taxes. They may be eligible for a tax break known as the “Senior Freeze” Exemption. My website, cookcountytreasurer.com, explains the eligibility requirements and can walk you through the…

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Senior citizen exemptions help give homeowners a break on big tax bills 

Posted on By Ray Hanania No Comments on Senior citizen exemptions help give homeowners a break on big tax bills 
Senior citizen exemptions help give homeowners a break on big tax bills 

Senior citizen exemptions help give homeowners a break on big tax bills  By Maria Pappas Senior citizens can get a break on their property tax bills, but they need to apply when seeking savings for the first time. The popular tax break is known as the Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption. For homeowners already receiving the…

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Homeowner exemptions slash tax bills. So why do so many fail to apply? 

Posted on By Ray Hanania No Comments on Homeowner exemptions slash tax bills. So why do so many fail to apply? 
Homeowner exemptions slash tax bills. So why do so many fail to apply? 

Homeowner exemptions slash tax bills. So why do so many fail to apply?  By Maria Pappas Homeowners can reduce their property tax bills by hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year by taking advantage of the Homeowner Exemption. Exemptions are tax breaks. To qualify for the Homeowner Exemption, first-time applicants must have occupied the…

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Top 10 tips that help homeowners better understand their property taxes 

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Top 10 tips that help homeowners better understand their property taxes 

Top 10 tips that help homeowners better understand their property taxes  By Maria Pappas Homeowners have taught me a few things about property taxes while I have served as Cook County Treasurer. One lesson is that the property tax system is complicated. Many people unfamiliar with the process have told me that they wished there…

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Pappas: When it comes to voting on referendums, the few decide for the many

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Pappas: When it comes to voting on referendums, the few decide for the many

Pappas: When it comes to voting on referendums, the few decide for the many By Maria Pappas If you’ve ever voted, you’ve probably seen one.  It’s a referendum, usually asking you to approve some numbers. A referendum is a proposed law on a social or economic issue on which the people can vote, even as…

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Pappas: How a few voters control the fate of more than $1 billion in new spending

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Pappas: How a few voters control the fate of more than $1 billion in new spending

Pappas: How a few voters control the fate of more than $1 billion in new spending Statement from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas This election season, voters throughout Cook County will decide whether to repair aging schools, improve a lake front beach, shut down a fire department and give local politicians new powers to tax….

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Word of mouth helps homeowner get $6,805 refund for missed exemptions 

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Word of mouth helps homeowner get $6,805 refund for missed exemptions 

Word of mouth helps homeowner get $6,805 refund for missed exemptions  By Maria Pappas Word of mouth helped chef Gabriel Miranda of Hickory Hills obtain a $6,805 refund for missed homeowner exemptions. Miranda said he and his wife deposited the money into their savings account. Their monthly bills include private high school tuition for the…

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Pappas urges property owners to pay First Installment tax bills by Friday, March 1 due date

Posted on By Ray Hanania 2 Comments on Pappas urges property owners to pay First Installment tax bills by Friday, March 1 due date
Pappas urges property owners to pay First Installment tax bills by Friday, March 1 due date

Pappas urges property owners to pay First Installment tax bills by Friday, March 1 due date First Installment Tax Year 2023 property taxes are due Friday, March 1, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas reminded taxpayers today. The Treasurer’s Office posted nearly 1.8 million bills online at cookcountytreasurer.com in early December and mailed printed bills to…

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Pay your property tax bill online to avoid risk of check-washing fraud 

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Pay your property tax bill online to avoid risk of check-washing fraud 

Pay your property tax bill online to avoid risk of check-washing fraud  By Maria Pappas As the March 1 due date approaches for Cook County property owners to pay their First Installment 2023 tax bills, I encourage people to pay online. It’s more convenient — and much safer. People who still pay their bills by…

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Erika Maldonado to lead Spanish-language outreach for Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas

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Erika Maldonado to lead Spanish-language outreach for Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas

Erika Maldonado to lead Spanish-language outreach for Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas Erika Maldonado will lead Spanish-language outreach to taxpayers for the Office of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. Maldonado has strong connections throughout the Chicago-area Latino community. She is a journalist with 30 years of experience who has co-anchored evening newscasts for Univision WGBO-TV…

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Money from your property taxes pays for essential local services

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Money from your property taxes pays for essential local services

Money from your property taxes pays for essential local services Your Property Taxes with Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas By Maria Pappas My office recently mailed property tax bills to owners of nearly 1.8 million parcels in Cook County. First Installment tax bills are due March 1. Local governments, such as school districts and municipalities,…

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Illinois program lets senior citizens defer up to $7,500 per year in property taxes

Posted on By Ray Hanania 3 Comments on Illinois program lets senior citizens defer up to $7,500 per year in property taxes
Illinois program lets senior citizens defer up to $7,500 per year in property taxes

Illinois program lets senior citizens defer up to $7,500 per year in property taxes Your Property Taxes column with Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas By Maria Pappas Illinois offers senior citizens a property tax relief program that works like a loan. The Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral program allows qualifying seniors to defer up…

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Slashed interest rate on late property tax payments could prevent home loss

Posted on By Ray Hanania 2 Comments on Slashed interest rate on late property tax payments could prevent home loss
Slashed interest rate on late property tax payments could prevent home loss

Slashed interest rate on late property tax payments could prevent home loss By Maria Pappas As my office prepares for the Annual Tax Sale, we’re doing all we can to help people avoid losing their homes because of unpaid property taxes. One of the biggest legislative reforms to the Illinois property tax system in decades…

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New tool shows where property tax dollars go and informs fed up taxpayers

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New tool shows where property tax dollars go and informs fed up taxpayers

New tool shows where property tax dollars go and informs fed up taxpayers By Maria Pappas When I saw how recent property tax bills shocked and angered many Cook County homeowners I knew people needed to understand why their taxes are so high. I began hearing from frustrated homeowners before tax bills landed in early…

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Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and Black Men United cohost veterans event at Hines VA Hospital

Posted on By Ray Hanania 1 Comment on Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and Black Men United cohost veterans event at Hines VA Hospital
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and Black Men United cohost veterans event at Hines VA Hospital

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and Black Men United cohost veterans event at Hines VA Hospital Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas will help military veterans and their families search for savings on their property tax bills during a Veterans’ Appreciation event Wednesday, Nov. 8, at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital with Black Men United. Treasurer’s…

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Pappas: School districts hiked property taxes on Cook County homes, businesses   

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Pappas: School districts hiked property taxes on Cook County homes, businesses   

Pappas: School districts hiked property taxes on Cook County homes, businesses    An analysis of Cook County’s 1.8 million property tax bills for 2022 shows that school districts are chiefly responsible for hefty tax bills that are due Dec. 1, according to Treasurer Maria Pappas.  The median residential tax bill in the north and northwest…

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Qualifying disabled veterans are fully exempt from paying property taxes

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Qualifying disabled veterans are fully exempt from paying property taxes

Qualifying disabled veterans are fully exempt from paying property taxes By Maria Pappas Veterans deserve our thanks, especially those whose abilities were diminished as a result of active military service. Illinois law recognizes that. Qualifying veterans whose disabilities are certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are eligible for tax breaks. Veterans classified as…

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Pappas helps phone bank caller receive whopping $11,870 property tax refund

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Pappas helps phone bank caller receive whopping $11,870 property tax refund

Pappas helps phone bank caller receive whopping $11,870 property tax refund By Maria Pappas “Your Property Taxes” column with Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas Helping taxpayers obtain refunds for property tax overpayments is one of the most rewarding parts of my job as Cook County Treasurer. My office recently helped a south suburban resident receive…

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