An extra month to pay rst installment tax bills

In Cook County, first installment property tax bills are ordinarily mailed around Feb. 1 and due on March 1. This year, however, the first installment bills will not be mailed until late February or early March and will have an April 3 due date. Taxpayers should note that the extension of the due date is a result of special circumstances sur rounding last year’s tax bills and will be in ef fect for this year only.

Under state law, Cook County tax payments are supposed to be spread throughout the year, with first installment bills due on March 1 and second installment bills due Aug. 1. But computer compatibility problems between Cook County’s tax appeal agencies caused significant delays in the mailing of last year’s second installment tax bills The result was that second installment tax bills were due Dec. 30, 2022, the latestever due date for such bills.

Concer ned that this year’s first installment bills ould be due just 61 days after last ear’s second installment bills, and my colleagues in the Cook County Township Assessors Association were among those who dvocated for the extension of the first installment due date with the state le gislature. We were concer ned that a two-month interval between due dates was too shor t and would cause financial dif ficulties for some taxpayers. We were especially concer ned about property owners whose tax bills increased unexpectedly after reassessment and taxpayers who do not have tax escrow accounts with mor tg age companies but instead pay property taxes on their own.

The extension of the due date was approved by the state le gislature with bipartisan support during its fall veto session and was signed by the gover nor on Dec. 21, 2022.

Ali ElSa ar Oak Park Township Assessor

WEDNESD AY

Journal

of Oak Park and River Forest

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