Cook County Property Tax Payment Plan Calculator

The annual tax sale puts homeowners, especially seniors and those with disabilities, at risk of losing their home solely for delinquent property taxes that are purchased by investors motivated by profit, without regard for the long-term impact on families and communities.
Black and Brown communities are especially negatively impacted, as the current system makes it harder for households to transfer wealth, contributing to the racial wealth and homeownership gaps.
In response, Housing Action Illinois, Neighborhood Housing Services, and others developed Senate Bill 74, which created a task force to study and make recommendations for the implementation of a payment plan option to divert delinquent owner-occupied properties in Cook County from the annual tax sale. The Property Tax Payment Plan Task Force's report is available here.

As a first step towards reforming the property tax system in Illinois, the Cook County Treasurer's Office released the Property Tax Payment Plan Calculator in July 2024. The calculator allows delinquent taxpayers to break up payments into monthly or weekly installments as a way to pay down their balance and ideally avoid the annual tax sale. The Property Tax Payment Plan Calculator arose from research and conversations in the Task Force. More information on this free tool can be accessed here.