Helpful tips for paying your property tax bill, from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas has mailed nearly 1.8 million Tax Year 2021 First Installment property tax bills to property owners. Payments are due by midnight March 1, 2022.

The First Installment is 55% of the previous year's total tax. Exemptions that can reduce a property owner’s taxes are applied to the Second Installment bill. (Look at “Your Property Tax Overview” to check your exemptions.)

Since Pappas posted the bills on cookcountytreasurer.com on December 7, 2021, almost 13,000 property owners have gone to the website to pay their property taxes.

“Paying property taxes through cookcountytreasurer.com is quick, easy and secure,” Pappas said. “Think about how many other things you do on the web. If you’ve never paid your property taxes online, I urge you to do so. You’ll receive an electronic receipt that will come in handy when you prepare your income tax return.”

To make a payment online, visit cookcountytreasurer.com to see what you owe and follow these steps:

• Select the blue box labeled “Pay Online for Free”
• Enter your address or 14-digit Property Index Number (PIN)
• There is no fee if you pay online from your bank account. The Treasurer’s Office accepts partial payments but First Installment taxes must be paid by March 1 to avoid a late charge of 1.5 percent per month, as mandated by Illinois law.

You can also use cookcountytreasurer.com to:

• Search $84 million in available refunds.
• Check if you are missing out on $34 million in property tax exemptions, which lower your tax bill.
• Read the Pappas Studies, a series of research projects that includes a 20-year history of Cook County property taxes.