Property Tax Appeals: Resources for Homeowners

The Cook County property tax system, and the appeal process specifically, are often complicated to understand and lack transparency, making it difficult for homeowners to successfully appeal. As part of our efforts to demystify this system, Impact for Equity has published a series of educational materials to aid homeowners in a successful appeal. These resources explain how the property tax system and appeal process in Cook County work, the burdens and limitations of the appeal process, common types of property tax appeals, and evidence needed for each type of appeal.

Property taxes are one of Illinois homeowners’ most significant annual costs. This financial burden disproportionately impacts low-income homeowners and communities of color, creating steep barriers to homeownership and intergenerational wealth.

The Cook County Treasurer’s Office recently reported that Cook County sought roughly $19.2 billion in property taxes in 2024, a nearly 182% increase from the total sought 30 years ago. Property taxes increased at a rate far greater than inflation (91%), wages (161%), and house prices (142%). Between 2023 and 2024, residential properties on the South and West sides saw their tax assessments more than double. Despite this increased burden, low-income homeowners and communities of color are the least likely to appeal their assessments and are less likely to succeed when they do appeal.

One way individual homeowners can work to counteract this is to appeal their property tax assessment if it is inaccurate—a move that can directly impact both their own tax bill as well as the systemic tax burden that has shifted from commercial properties to residential owners in recent years.

Impact for Equity’s property tax appeal resources are available in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Tagalog. We hope these one-pagers will serve as a helpful resource for homeowners challenging their property tax assessments, practitioners and advocates working in the property tax space, and organizations working alongside the community.

Click here to view the Property Tax Resources for Homeowners