Stages 5–6 · Tax Rate, Billing & Collection
Understanding Your Property Tax Bill
The amount appearing on your property-tax bill is produced only after several separate parts of the property-tax system have completed their work.
Cook County Clerk
Calculates Tax Rates & Extends Taxes
Taxing districts submit their levies to the County Clerk. The Clerk calculates tax rates using those levies and the taxable equalized assessed value within each taxing district. The rates for the districts serving a property combine into that property's composite tax rate.
Cook County Treasurer
Prints, Mails, Collects & Distributes
The Treasurer prints and mails property-tax bills using assessment, exemption and tax-rate information supplied by other government agencies, collects property-tax payments and distributes the revenue to the taxing districts.
Where the Levy Fits In
School districts, municipalities, park districts, Cook County and other taxing bodies determine how much property-tax revenue they seek through their levies. The levy is not the same thing as the tax rate. The Clerk calculates the rates necessary to extend those levies across taxable property.
Why Can My Bill Change?
Changes can result from several factors, including your property's assessment relative to other property, exemptions, state equalization, changes in taxing- district levies, changes in taxable value and the resulting tax rates.
Role Clarity
The Board of Review reviews assessments. It does not set tax rates, determine government levies, or issue property tax bills.