Below you’ll find the answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions:
How can you help me lower my property taxes?
Who should appeal their property taxes?
How often can you appeal?
Is there really no risk to appealing?
Why should I chose The Property Tax Department to reduce my property taxes?
How does the property tax appeal process work?
Can't I just file a property tax appeal myself?
How do I sign up for my FREE assessment review?
How much do you charge?
How does The Property Tax Department reduce my assessment?
Once I sign up, how long does the process take?
How do you determine my tax savings?
Can I appeal my rental property?
Can my taxes increase if I lose my appeal?
How can you help me lower my property taxes?
A: At The Property Tax Department, we fight to help you lower the assessed value of your property, which determines your final property tax bill. When your assessed value is lowered, your property tax bill will be lower too.
We use our decades of experience to prepare a comprehensive appeal packet which provides the exact evidence the property tax assessor is looking for to lower the assessed value of your property. There are many different ways to go about a property tax appeal and we use our experience and time to find the best method for the biggest reduction for you.
Who should appeal their property taxes?
A: The simple answer is everyone! Appealing your property taxes has been in the news a lot recently and even the Chicago Tribune said that EVERY owner should appeal in the recent article, “Why it’s foolish not to appeal your property tax assessment.” Everyone needs to have an expert and advocate on their side to make sure they are not paying too much in property taxes. You can instantly analyze your property taxes by clicking here!
When you do not appeal, you end up paying an unfair burden, and much more money than your neighbors who successfully appealed! If you don’t appeal you will get stuck paying more than your neighbors. The Property Tax Department is here for you to make sure that does not happen, 100% guaranteed!
There are certain circumstances where it is imperative that you appeal. Some of them are:
- Recent purchase in the last three (3) years.
- Recent construction, remodel, and/or addition
- Vacancy in your investment property
- Disaster such as a flood or fire
How often can you appeal?
A: You can appeal each and every year. Don’t worry if you missed your deadline for this year…you can click here to sign up for next year so you can be sure you will not miss another deadline! We will always keep you on track!
In Cook County, each parcel is reassessed every three years and in Lake County (and other collar counties), each parcel is reassessed every four years. While it is imperative to appeal in the year you are reassessed, it is always prudent to have an expert, like The Property Tax Department, review your assessment each year! You can click here to have us do it for you for FREE with no obligation!
Is there really no risk to appealing?
A: There really is no risk when you hire The Property Tax Department to fight your taxes. Our services are 100% guaranteed! There are no upfront fees and the only time you pay us is after you receive confirmation of your reduction from the County. Additionally, in the very rare case that we are not successful in a reduction, you do not owe us a single penny for the research and filing of your appeal…guaranteed!
Why should I chose The Property Tax Department to reduce my property taxes?
A: We provide the most affordable, yet best quality, property tax appeal services to successfully appeal and lower your property tax bill in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will County, Illinois. Our founders are property tax experts with decades of experience in Illinois real estate and property tax appeals and have lowered our client’s taxable values by over ½ billion dollars – saving our clients millions of dollars in property taxes!
We will research your property (click here for your instant, FREE analysis) and if there is any basis to lower your property taxes, we will complete a comprehensive appeal packet on your behalf. Your property tax appeal packet will be reviewed and filed before your deadline by a Licenced Illinois Attorney so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
The best part is that you do not have to pay us a penny unless we lower your property tax bill! Even then, our fee is the lowest in the industry! We have every motivation to save you as much as possible as that is the only way we get paid!
You can CLICK HERE for your instant, FREE, no obligation analysis on your property and if an appeal could benefit you, we will handle everything for you from beginning to end. It is that easy!
How does the property tax appeal process work?
A: The process can be very confusing and overwhelming but it is so simple when you team with The Property Tax Department! When you hire us, we handle each step of the process:
- You receive your notice of Assessment from you County Assessor.
- You have a very small window (only 30 days) to prepare and file your appeal of your assessment. In some counties you can appeal to the Assessor first, but in most counties your first appeal is to the Board of Review. If you miss your 30 day window, you are out of luck.
- In Cook County, the Assessor publishes their results and you now have a chance to appeal again, this time to the Cook County Board of Review (BOR). In the collar counties, your first chance to appeal is to the BOR as there is not a formal Assessor appeal process.
- Once again, you have a very limited time to appeal your assessment to the BOR.
- A few months later, the BOR publishes their results. (Some clients continue their appeals to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board (which can take years to receive results) or to Illinois Circuit Court but that is a small minority of the cases.)
- Property tax rates are calculated by the county and tax bills are released.
Can't I just file a property tax appeal myself?
A: You can file an appeal yourself but your chances of success increases dramatically when you have an expert such as The Property Tax Department on your side. The appeal process is very confusing, difficult and time consuming and our clients find that the time and aggravation they save by hiring The Property Tax Department is well worth our small 1/3 contingency fee. Our services are 100% guaranteed and you do not pay us a cent unless we are successful in lowering your property tax bill!
How do I sign up for my FREE assessment review?
A: Simply click here for your FREE, no obligation instant review! You can then complete your sign-up in just a couple minutes and sit back and relax as we will handle all of the details!
How much do you charge?
A: We charge NOTHING up front and only a small 1/3 contingency fee – not the 50% most companies charge – which puts a lot more money in your pocket where it belongs! We do not require any type of up-front payment because we are so sure that we can save you money on your property taxes that we will do all the work without a single penny up front.
Additionally, our fee is the lowest in the industry and is only due for your first year of tax savings! All future savings from the appeal go 100% in your pocket. Our services are also 100% guaranteed! We let our results speak for themselves!
How does The Property Tax Department reduce my assessment?
A: The Property Tax Department is comprised of property tax experts working with advanced data metrics to achieve the greatest assessment reductions for you. We review each case individually and find the best method to save you the most amount of money possible!
Once we find the best method to achieve the greatest reduction, we compile superior evidence that would not be possible without our proprietary software analysis programs. We then prepare and submit a comprehensive appeal with the most accurate data and comparables available to succeed in fighting your property tax bill! Remember, this is all at no up front cost or risk to you! It’s our guarantee to you!
Once I sign up, how long does the process take?
A: It depends on when you sign-up with us but the appeal process usually takes a few months. We will be sure to keep you notified every step of of the way on the progress of your case so you do not need to worry about any deadlines!
How do you determine my tax savings?
A: Your tax savings calculation is very simple…it is the difference between what you would have paid had you not appealed, and what you will pay as a result of our successful appeal. No fine print and no hidden fees!
Can I appeal my rental property?
Absolutely. You can appeal the taxes on ANY property that you are responsible for the taxes. Whether it is a 2nd or 3rd home, you are the landlord, or you are the tenant responsible for the taxes, you can appeal.
Can my taxes increase if I lose my appeal?
A: NO, absolutely not! If the Assessor and/or the Board of Review do not agree that a reduction is warranted, they will NOT raise an assessment and will NEVER “punish” someone for an unsuccessful appeal. The review process was put in place to help taxpayers obtain a fair and equitable assessment and the worst case scenario is that your assessed valuation and taxes will remain the same.. This is known as a “No Change” ruling.