Reminder: Taxes are due December 15, 2025. Pay now to avoid late fees. Struggling financially? Our Payment Plan Calculator is a tool you can use

CHICAGO, Dec. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Second-Installment Cook County property taxes are due Dec. 15 for nearly 1.8 million Cook County homes and other properties.

That means property owners have less than a week to pay in full to avoid late-payment interest charges.

"My office's 2024 Tax Bill Analysis showed that property taxes in the city and suburbs rose for the 31^st consecutive year. And median bills for city homeowners rose by 16.7%. So, I know coming up with the money to pay those bills will be challenging for many residents," Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said. "That's why I'm reminding everyone that the bills are due Monday, Dec. 15. If you're late, there will be interest charges." 

There are many ways to pay. You can pay online at CookCountyTreasurer.com, through the mail, at any Chase Bank branch location or in person in the Cook County Treasurer's Office at 118 N. Clark Street, Room 112 in downtown Chicago.

"Paying property taxes is never fun, but we're trying to make it as convenient as possible so you can avoid interest charges by hopefully paying in full before the mid-December deadline," Pappas said. "Property owners unable to pay their tax bills in full by Dec. 15 should look at our free online financial planning tool that helps you make smaller, more manageable payments over time."

It's called the Payment Plan Calculator and it's available Dec. 16, one day after the due date at CookCountyTreasurer.com. The calculator lets you:

• Set up a schedule to pay off a tax bill in smaller increments instead of all at once.
• Choose between making payments once or twice a month.
• Create a personalized plan for catching up on delinquent taxes if you owe more than $100.

You don't have to wait to sign up. You can register now at cookcountytreasurer.com.

Then click on the purple box. Enter your Property Index Number (PIN) or your property address and hit "continue." Then scroll down until you see the Payment Plan Calculator next to the Pay Now button. Click it and a page will appear asking you to type your name and email address.

After you enter your information, you'll receive an emailed reminder from the Cook County Treasurer's Office to set up your payment plan when the calculator goes live after the due date has passed.

Once the Payment Plan Calculator goes live on Dec. 16, just follow the steps below:

• Go to cookcountytreasurer.com and click on the purple box.
• Enter the 14-digit Property Index Number (PIN) or the property address to get your tax information.
• Scroll down until you see your bills, then click the red "Payment Plan Calculator" button which appears if a bill is delinquent.
• Review the disclaimer and click "continue."
• Choose how often you want to make payments — monthly or twice monthly.
• The calculator will automatically show a recommended payment schedule to help you pay off your balance before the next Annual Tax Sale.
• Select Summary View to quickly compare dates, amounts and your remaining balance.
• Or switch to Detailed View for a full breakdown of every payment.
• When you find a plan that fits your budget, download or print your personalized schedule to track your payments.
• You can also sign up for free email or text alerts, so you never miss a payment reminder.
• Or pay right away by clicking Pay Now.

During the next 13 months before the tax sale interest will be charged at 9% a year, or 0.75% a month.

Though state-mandated interest rate charges can't be avoided, the Payment Plan Calculator is designed to help people avoid borrowing from a credit card company or having to pay back or 'redeem' taxes after they're sold to a tax buyer.

"Simply put, the calculator should help more Cook County residents pay off their back taxes and stay in their homes," Pappas said.

SOURCE Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas