Tag: Cook County Treasurer

Change in law lets tax breaks automatically renew for homeowners with disabilities

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Change in law lets tax breaks automatically renew for homeowners with disabilities

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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Blogger, Commentary, Cook County, Government, Maria Pappas, Opinion, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Illinois expands property tax breaks for veterans to include World War II vets

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Illinois expands property tax breaks for veterans to include World War II vets

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 

Posted on By Ray Hanania No Comments on Financial planning tool offers free online help to budget late tax payments 
Financial planning tool offers free online help to budget late tax payments 

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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Cook County, Maria Pappas, News, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Pappas: New Payment Plan Calculator helps homeowners pay late taxes in smaller increments to avoid ‘merciless’ Annual Tax Sale

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Pappas: New Payment Plan Calculator helps homeowners pay late taxes in smaller increments to avoid ‘merciless’ Annual Tax Sale

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…

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Sale-in-error study shows how tax buyers transfer wealth from low-income areas

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Sale-in-error study shows how tax buyers transfer wealth from low-income areas

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

Posted on By Ray Hanania No Comments on Treasurer Maria Pappas sending $22 million in automatic refunds to more than 10,000 who overpaid property taxes
Treasurer Maria Pappas sending $22 million in automatic refunds to more than 10,000 who overpaid property taxes

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…

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Cook County, Maria Pappas, News, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Read your property tax bill Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas urges homeowners

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Read your property tax bill Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas urges homeowners

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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Chicago, Cook County, Maria Pappas, News, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Treasurer Maria Pappas analysis shows record-high property tax increases for south suburban homeowners 

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Treasurer Maria Pappas analysis shows record-high property tax increases for south suburban homeowners 

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…

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Cook County, Government, Maria Pappas, News, Taxes

You may be owed a refund for overpaying property taxes during past 20 years

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You may be owed a refund for overpaying property taxes during past 20 years

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’s website offers easy way to update property tax bill address information

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Treasurer’s website offers easy way to update property tax bill address information

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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Blogger, Commentary, Cook County, Maria Pappas, Opinion, Taxes

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 

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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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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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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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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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Cook County, Government, Maria Pappas, News, Taxes

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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Baby Boomers, Blogger, Commentary, Cook County, Maria Pappas, Opinion, Seniors, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

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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