Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
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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