What exactly does that property tax bill I just got represent? Remember, your property tax bill is paid in arrears which means they are paid one year late, so, the first installment was simply calculated as 55% of your previous year's total amount. The second installment, due later this year, will be based upon the actual property tax for this year less your first installment payment. Note – the second installment might be less or more than the first installment.
How to Appeal Your Property Tax. First and foremost, you need to understand that you don’t exactly appeal your property taxes. What you appeal is your assessed value. This is something we highly consider you do if you at all think your taxes are high compared to other homes in your neighborhood.
There are 5 different ways to appeal.
1. You can file an appeal with the Cook County Assessor’s office.
2. You can ask for a re-review.
3. You can file an appeal with the Cook County Board of Review.
4. You can appeal to the Cook County Circuit Court.
5. You can appeal to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board.
If you chose to appeal your taxes, remember, there are very straight and tight deadlines! You have a small window each year to appeal and your window is determined by which township you live in.
Wondering when your window is to appeal your taxes? Cook County has their appeal dates listed here.
Trying to figure out what township you live in? The best way is to look at your property tax bill or most of your property tax records. Do NOT confuse your township with your community area, even though some townships share the same name as the community area. IE: Lake View and Hyde Park.
In our opinion, the best thing to do is to hire an attorney to appeal your taxes for you. Generally the attorney will take your case on a contingency basis and it won’t cost you anything unless you win. Some attorneys will charge a small fee such as $50 to $75 to open your file. Usually the attorney will take a portion of the amount of money you’re saving the first year if your appeal is successful. Start by contacting the attorney who represented you in the purchase of your home (if you liked that person) to see if they handle property tax appeals. If they don't handle property taxes ask them for a recommendation.
Still find this confusing? Don’t worry, contact us anytime at shay@buyselllovechicago.com or 312.600.7510 - we can point you in the right direction and offer recommendations on who to contact.
Additional info: General tax appeal information for Illinois
COOK COUNTY RESIDENTS -To view or pay your tax bill, visit: www.CookCountytreasurer.com
updated 2/1/2023 dm
