Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Special to suffredin.org
by City of Evanston

Cook County Treasurer Announces Changes in Property Tax Bill Requirements Due to Pandemic

EVANSTON, IL - Due to the pandemic, the Cook County Treasurer’s Office has announced changes in property tax bill requirements including allowing delayed payments, eliminating renewal requirements, and allowing seniors to defer payment.

First Installment of 2020 Property Tax Bills

The first installment of 2020 property tax bills were mailed at the end of January. This installment is 55 percent of a property's total tax bill for the previous year and is due on March 2, 2021.

Due to the pandemic, taxpayers may delay payment as late as May 3 without having to pay any interest or late fees.

Taxpayers should note that first installment tax bills will not reflect homeowner, senior citizen or other exemptions, nor will they reflect the impact of successful assessment appeals filed for the 2020 tax year. Exemptions and successful appeals will instead appear on second installment bills, along with the effect of changes in the tax levies of local governments.

Total tax bills for the year will be calculated by late June, at which time second installment bills will be issued. The amount due on the second installment will be the total annual tax bill for each property, less the first installment payment

Payment Details: Property owners who do not have mortgage companies paying their taxes can make property tax payments in person at the Cook County Treasurer's office at 118 N. Clark St. or at any Chase Bank in the Chicago area, by mail, or online at cookcountytreasurer.com.

Renewal Requirements for Exemptions Eliminated

Taxpayers who received property tax exemptions last year will not have to renew them this year, including seniors eligible for the Senior Freeze and people receiving disability exemptions.

Automatic renewal of the Homeowner and Senior Exemptions, which was in effect before the pandemic, will continue.

Those with a change in exemption eligibility must complete an exemption application by March 31. People who purchased new homes in 2019 should receive Homeowner Exemption applications in the mail for tax year 2020, but other taxpayers, such as those newly eligible for senior citizen or disability exemptions, must apply for these exemptions on the County Assessor’s website, cookcountyassessor.com.

Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral Program

The Senior Citizen Tax Deferral program is a property tax-relief program that works like a loan. It allows qualified seniors to defer as much as $5,000 in property taxes each year until their homes or condominiums are sold. Applications for this program must be submitted by Monday, March 1.

To qualify, seniors must have annual household income of less than $55,000, have equity in their homes that exceeds the sum of property taxes deferred, and have lived in their homes for at least three years, as well as other requirements. For additional information and to obtain the application, seniors should visit the Cook County Treasurer's website at cookcountytreasurer.com.

Seniors who are eligible for the Deferral Program, should also be eligible for the Senior Freeze and the Senior Exemption. For additional questions regarding tax exemptions and the Senior Citizen Tax Deferral Program, seniors can call the Property Tax Assessment Review Office at 847-448-8168.

For questions, please call the Cook County Treasurer’s Office at 312-443-5100. For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may simply dial 3-1-1 in Evanston.

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