More than 10,000 Cook County property owners overpaid on their property taxes last year, and the Treasurer’s Office is sending out millions in automatic refunds.
According to Treasurer Maria Pappas, $22 million in refunds will be going out in coming days, and in most cases, those eligible for the refunds will not have to file applications or fill out any paperwork.
“For many senior citizens and others, the value of tax breaks known as exemptions is greater than the amount of property taxes they were billed,” Pappas said in a statement. “Since they already made a first installment payment in March, they are entitled to refunds that we send automatically as a convenience for taxpayers.”
According to officials, nearly 6,000 of those refunds will be issued via direct deposit, with the rest receiving checks by Aug. 9.
If residents believe they are entitled to a refund, they can visit the Cook County Treasurer’s website, selecting “Your Property Tax Overview” and entering their address.
Officials say most of the refunds will go to homeowners who receive property tax exemptions.