Property Tax

If you own any interest in property in Illinois, you are likely well aware of the impact property taxes have on you, your business, and your family. These taxes are handled by local authorities, not the state, so the way these laws will affect you varies by the county or city in which you reside.

Hart David Carson, provides legal counsel and representation on all property tax matters throughout Cook County and the state of Illinois, whether you need counsel on meeting legal requirements and deadlines or representation during appeals or disputes.

Property Tax Laws in Illinois

In Chicago and the surrounding area, property valuations are conducted every three years. These valuations are used to determine your tax obligations during following years, which may increase or decrease depending on a wide variety of factors. Property taxes may fluctuate based on the property’s valuation the previous year, or they may increase based on the rate of inflation.

Increases in property taxes are limited by Illinois’s Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL), which keeps it at or below the rate of inflation or 5%, whichever is lower. However, if a property is valued higher than it was three years ago, that can still cause property taxes to fluctuate significantly on top of the normal inflationary value under PTELL. Additionally, other laws passed may increase this limit.

Hart David Carson, can provide advising with regards to minimizing your tax obligation as well as other matters related to property taxes, including meeting deadlines, fulfilling filing requirements, meeting property transfer requirements, and appealing valuations.

Assessment Appeals

The process of assessing property for taxation purposes is highly subjective, and there can be significant unwarranted differences between valuations. Appealing an assessment can prevent you from being taxed too heavily on your property due to an unfair valuation. We assist our clients with these appeals, calling to attention details such as the following:

• Depreciation or obsolescence of assets on the property, including appliances and fixtures
• Damage or wear on the property
• Lower valuations of properties or assets within the same tax category
• Improvements to other properties that didn’t see an increase in assessed value

These factors can all have a significant impact on how your property is assessed, and bringing them to the attention of the county assessors can help reduce the amount you owe in property taxes.

Hart David Carson, can represent you throughout the appeals process and advise you on the best path to take.

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

At times, an appeal may escalate to litigation. In other cases, you may find there are errors in billing, collections, etc. that result in an unfairly large tax burden. Our experienced tax attorneys represent you during disputes and hearings before local and state boards, and we see to your best interests, whether you have a dispute over a tax sale, billing error, tax refund, or cancellation.

Obtaining Legal Assistance on Property Tax Issues

At Hart David Carson, we have extensive experience when it comes to planning for property tax issues, and we can represent you in every aspect of the law, whether you own complex commercial facilities in downtown Chicago or farmland in the farther reaches of the county. 

To schedule a consultation, contact Hart David Carson, today.