Postcard on prepayments was misleading

Recently, a postcard arrived in our mail, marked "Important Tax Information," boldly announcing that our ever-concerned-for-his-constituency congressional representative Peter Roskam had "Secured Fair Tax Treatment" for Illinois taxpayers. The other side of the card went on to a declare that Roskam had "Secured the right of Illinoisans to deduct their prepaid 2017 tax filings" in a "lengthy battle" with the IRS.

Folks, he did nothing of the sort. The reason Illinois prepaid property taxes are deductible is the result of the fact that in Illinois we pay property taxes one year in arrears, that is to say that by prepaying one year, you are actually paying this year's taxes, and those are known according to the current assessment.

This is a clear demonstration of the man's duplicitous nature and outright lying. The fact that we could deduct our prepaid taxes was well-known (though not necessarily for other states that don't pay in arrears), previously published and clearly communicated by the county clerk's office when you made your prepayment. Moreover, these postcards were mailed to all of us who did in fact prepay, which means that Roskam somehow combed the county clerk's records to find us.

I hope this provides yet another insight to Peter Roskam's style of manipulation, deception and self-promotion.

Reinhard Metz

Wheaton