Top Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions

1.  Why are my property taxes so high?
2.  How does the Assessor’s Office determine the value of my house?
3.  I think the Assessor’s Office over-valued my house.  What should I do?
4.  How are my taxes calculated?
5.  When can I file an appeal?
6.  Why would I file an appeal?
7.  Where can I file an appeal?
8. What happens after I file an appeal?
9. What is a Homeowner Exemption?
10. What is a Senior Citizens Exemption?

1.  Why are my property taxes so high?

Your property tax bill represents your share of the budgets approved by local taxing bodies for their operations.  Property taxes are one of the main sources of funding for local government services, such as park districts, fire districts and especially public education.  If you believe your taxes are too high, you should:

A.    Contact your County Assessor’s Office to ensure that you are receiving the property tax exemptions to which you may be entitled to.
B.    Review your property’s assessed value and property characteristics and if there are errors, file an appeal with your County Assessor’s Office.
C.    Be aware of the budget, spending requests and levies of your local governments.

2.  How does the Assessor’s Office determine the value of my house?

The value of your house is determined by the recent sales of properties with similar characteristics in your specific neighborhood.

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3.  I think the Assessor’s Office over-valued my house.  What should I do?

If you feel that your home’s assessed value is incorrect, you are encouraged to file an appeal with your County Assessor’s Office.
The three (3) main reasons for filing a residential appeal include:
A.    Your property was not assessed uniformly.
B.    The assessor’s records are incorrect in the description of your property.  
C.    Your property is has been overvalued.  

Most required residential appeal forms are available on your assessor’s website (see our resource page for your assessor’s website) or at your Assessor’s Office.

4.  How are my taxes calculated?

To calculate your property tax bill, use the following example (for Cook County only) which is for a home with estimated market value of $100,000:


$100,000       Estimated Market Value
X .10               Assessment Level (10%) (* 33.33% in other Illinois counties)
$10,000         Proposed Assessed Valuation
X2.8439         2007 State Equalizer (* use for Cook County only, subject to change)
$28,439         Equalized Assessed Value
- 5,500           Homeowner Exemption (* check if you qualify)
$22,939         Adjusted Equalized Value
X.10                Sample Tax Rate (* your tax rate could vary)
$2,293           Estimated Tax Bill in Dollars

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5.  When can I file an appeal?

In Cook County, you will receive a "Notice of Proposed Assessed Valuation" in the mail when the Assessor's Office reassesses your home every three years. This notice includes an estimate of the proposed property value, the proposed assessed valuation and a list of your property’s characteristics that are relevant to your property’s value.

Once you have received your "Notice of Proposed Assessed Valuation", you have approximately 30 calendar days to file an appeal with the assessor’s office. The last date to file an appeal is printed on the top of your notice. You may also appeal your assessed valuation in any year between reassessments.  The deadlines are also available on the Assessor’s website.

6.  Why would I file an appeal?

Three common grounds for appeals are:

Uniformity Appeal:
The assessed valuation of your home is not uniform with the assessed valuations of other, similar homes.

Overvaluation Appeal:
The assessor has overvalued your home, compared to sales of similar homes.

Property Description Error Appeal:
There is an error in the description of your property, such as incorrect square footage.

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7.  Where can I file an appeal?

Visit your township Assessor’s Office and ask to speak with a tax payer’s assistant, or visit their website and click on Appeals.  Then complete the information and file the appeal.

8. What happens after I file an appeal?

After your appeal is filed, the Assessor's Office will analyze your information and mail you the result of your appeal.

9. What is a Homeowner Exemption?

You can receive the Homeowner Exemption if you own or have a lease or contract which makes you responsible for the real estate taxes of the residential property. It must also be used as your principal place of residence for the year in question as of January 1, of that year.

10. What is a Senior Citizens Exemption?

The Senior Citizen Exemption provides tax relief to a homeowner of age 65 or older, by reducing the equalized valuation of an eligible residence. This savings is in the form of a deduction on the second-installment real estate tax bill.

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