Cook County waiving late fees on property tax bills until Oct. 1

With the second installment of Cook County property taxes being mailed this week, residents and property owners are reminded that the county board has waived late penalties on payments scheduled to be due on Aug. 3.

Under a measure approved by the board in May, the county will not impose the 1.5% per month late fee on bills paid until after Oct. 1, effectively giving property owners an additional two months to make payments.

"Homeowners and business owners are financially stressed because of the pandemic, and the county board's action will give them two extra months to get their finances together and pay by Oct. 1 without incurring late-payment charges," county Treasurer Maria Pappas said after the vote.

In addition to receiving bills in the mail, residents and other property owners can find their bills posted at cookcountytreasurer.com.

The county treasurer collects more than $12 billion annually on behalf of more than 2,200 jurisdictions, including municipalities, school districts, park districts, libraries and other taxing districts.

"Unusual times demand extraordinary efforts from government to help people see what's coming and then help them handle it," Pappas said. "We're doing both by waiving penalties and showing taxpayers the bills before they're even mailed."