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By: Rieff Schramm Kanter & Guttman

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On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, Larry Rogers, Jr. convincingly won his sixth term as Cook County Board of Review Commissioner.  Rogers represents the city’s south side and the southern suburbs of Cook County. Rogers beat his challenger Larecia Tucker 62% to 38%.  Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi contributed $680,000 of his own money to fund […]
Continue Reading Cook County Commissioner Larry Rogers wins a 6th term as Commissioner at the Cook County Board of Review

On Wednesday, March 13th, the Illinois Supreme Court denied the appeal petition by the Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA) to overturn the Appellate Court’s ruling to allow the transfer tax referendum on the March 19 primary ballot.  The Illinois Supreme Court did not overturn the Illinois Appellate Court who stated in their […]
Continue Reading Illinois Supreme Court allows the new Transfer Tax Referendum to remain on the March 19 primary

In the intricate landscape of urban governance, tax policies often serve as a battleground where competing interests clash, and Chicago is no exception.  Recently, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposal to increase taxes on real estate transactions exceeding $1 million sent shockwaves through the city’s political and economic spheres.  However, this ambitious plan faced a significant setback […]
Continue Reading The Complex Dynamics of Taxation: Exploring Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s “Mansion Tax”

The Illinois Department of Revenue announced a tentative 2023 Cook County Equalization Factor of 2.8414 on February 8, 2024.  This tentative 2023 Cook County Equalization Factor is 2.81% lower than the 2022 Cook County Equalization Factor of 2.9237.  Every year, the Illinois Department of Revenue is legally required to calculate the equalization factor to achieve […]
Continue Reading 2023 Cook County Tentative Multiplier or Equalization Factor Set

The Cook County Board of Review heard a property tax appeal involving the Chicago Bears’ former Arlington International Racecourse this Tuesday, February 6, 2024.  Cook County Commissioner Samantha Steele was reported to state that a decision on this appeal will issue by the end of this February.  Their decision will have an effect on whether […]
Continue Reading Cook County Board of Review Decision for the Chicago Bear’s Former Arlington International Racecourse Expected to Occur by End of February, 2024

If you’re wondering what some legislators are proposing in the Illinois General Assembly for the current legislative session, they’re proposing legislation for statewide property tax reform. On Wednesday, February 7th, state representatives hailing from Geneva and Mokena, along with a former representative from Plainfield, unveiled their proposed plan. HB 4866 would attempt to make school […]
Continue Reading Potential Property Tax Legislation To Level The Playing Field Between Communities

The 2023 first installment bills have issued and will be due on Friday, March 1, 2024.  If you have not received your first installment 2023 tax bill, you can go on the Cook County Treasurer’s website – www.cookcountytreasurer.com, click on Payment Details (purple box) and type in your Permanent Index Number and click “First Installment […]
Continue Reading Cook County 2023 First Installment Tax Bills are Scheduled to be Due on March 1, 2023

Last Friday, in the case Arlington Heights Police Pension Fund v. Pritzker (2024 IL 129471), the Illinois Supreme Court upheld a 2019 statutory law which consolidated 649 individual pension funds into just two.  It was a unanimous decision by the Court allowing consolidation into two pension funds so as to more easily and at less […]
Continue Reading Illinois Supreme Court Upholds Law Allowing Consolidation of Police and Firefighter Pension Funds

The Thompson Center was sold in the summer of 2022 for $105 million.  Since the subject property was owned by the State of Illinois prior to this sale, it was a property tax “exempt” entity, not subject to real estate taxation for tax years preceding the sale.  Once the property sold to a “non-exempt” joint […]
Continue Reading Thompson Center Assessed Much Higher than Recent Purchase Price

On December 8, 2023, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law Senate Bill 1988 which became law as Public Act 103-0583.  The legislation, which is taxpayer friendly, makes it mandatory for the County Assessor to accept tax appeals from Taxpayers for a period of not less than 30 business days from the later of: 1) the […]
Continue Reading Passage of Senate Bill #1988 Requires the Assessor To Accept Tax Appeals For At Least 30 Buisness Days From Issuance of Assessment Notices

2022 second installment tax bills were received in the mailboxes of Cook County property owners on November 1, 2023.  The second installment 2022 real estate taxes are due on December 1, 2023.  The north and northwest suburbs were reassessed in 2022 by Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi and the reassessment resulted in a $331 million […]
Continue Reading Cook County Property Taxes in the Northern Townships Increased by 15.7%

The second installment 2022 real estate tax bills are now available online.  Cook County property owners can access their second installment 2022 tax bills by going on www.cookcountytreasurer.com, selecting the blue box labeled “Pay Online for Free” and entering the Property Index Number (PIN) or the address. The Cook County Treasurer’s Office is planning to […]
Continue Reading Reminder for Cook County 2022 Second Installment Tax Bills being due on December 1, 2023

The Illinois Department of Revenue announced a final 2022 Cook County Equalization Factor of 2.9237 on September 5, 2023.  This final 2022 Cook County Equalization Factor is 7.37% higher than the tentative 2022 Cook County Equalization Factor of 2.7230.  Every year, the Illinois Department of Revenue is legally required to calculate the equalization factor to […]
Continue Reading 2022 Cook County Final Multiplier or Equalization Factor Set

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has recently issued a statement that the second installment 2022 real estate tax bills will issue late again this year.  Board President Preckwinkle has stated that the second installment 2022 tax bills are expected to be released online and by mail by early November with a due date of […]
Continue Reading Cook County 2022 Second Installment Tax Bills are Scheduled to be Due on December 1, 2023

On May, 30, 2023, the Cook County Circuit Court, Law Division affirmed the Illinois Department of Revenue’s holding that the Woman’s Library Club of Glencoe is not entitled to a property tax exemption under 35 ILCS 200/15-65(b). In 2014, North Shore Exchange operated a donation and consignment retail shop for the purposes of donating 100% […]
Continue Reading Strict Construction of Property Tax Exemptions in Illinois Law

The Illinois Property Tax Code provides three levels of assessment review to challenge taxpayers’ assessed fair market values and excessive real estate taxes.  A taxpayer can appeal to the Cook County Assessor’s Office (the first level of appeal), the Cook County Board of Review (the second level of appeal) and can choose a third and […]
Continue Reading Legislative Activists are Seeking to Abolish Cook County Taxpayers from Filing Property Tax Appeals at the Property Tax Appeal Board