SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Fine supported legislation to extend the number of business days Cook County taxpayers have to file a property tax appeal, standardizing the length of time taxpayers have to work through the appeals process.

“The property tax appeal process is often daunting for homeowners, and the current deadline established based on calendar days results in inequities among taxpayers and townships,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “This legislation will make the appeals process fairer for Cook County homeowners, giving them more time to attend workshops to help with this process, file and defend their appeal.”

The Cook County Assessor’s filing deadlines for taxpayer appeals can vary from year to year. This year, the assessor’s office established a deadline of 30 calendar days for filing complaints. However, the available business days for filing were different in each township after factoring in weekends and holidays, varying from 19 to 22 business days.

Senate Bill 1988 would establish uniform filing periods to ensure homeowners have adequate time to address their complaints to the assessor. The measure requires the Cook County Assessor to accept appeals for at least 30 business days after the date the increased property assessment was mailed or published on the assessor’s website.

Senate Bill 1988 heads to the governor for final consideration.