Why Most Illinois Homeowners Are Leaving Money on the Table at Tax Time

Written by:

Alejandra Rodriguez

Date:

08 Jul 2026

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Property taxes in Illinois have long been a source of frustration, but the conversation has moved in recent years from quiet grumbling to active pushback. With assessed values climbing alongside a competitive housing market, and tax rates that consistently rank among the highest in the nation, more homeowners are asking whether there is anything they can actually do about their bills. According to David Kieta, founding attorney at Kieta Law LLC, the answer is often yes, and most people simply are not taking advantage of the process available to them.

Kieta has spent nearly a decade working inside the property tax system, first as an intern at a zoning and property tax firm, then as a staff member at the Cook County Board of Review, and later helping O’Connor and Associates establish their Illinois operation before co-founding Kieta Law with partner Kelsey Frank. That path through both the government and private sides of the appeals process gives him a practical view of where the system works, where it falls short, and what property owners can do about it.

A Taxpayers System

Cook County alone has roughly 1.9 million taxable PINs. Of those, only a fraction ever go through the appeals process. For Kieta, that gap represents the single most common and costly mistake homeowners make.

The downside of filing an appeal is essentially zero, the worst outcome is paying what the county already assessed. The upside is a lower assessed value and a smaller bill. “Not appealing is the most common mistake,” Kieta says. “Best case scenario is you pay less, your assessed value goes down.”

The Cook County Board of Review exists specifically as a check on the assessor’s office, and homeowners who hold property in their own name – rather than through an LLC – can file what is called a pro se appeal without hiring an attorney. Kieta, who reviewed those cases from the government side, says those self-represented filers consistently received fair consideration.

The second most common mistake is relying on informal market opinions rather than actual data. A realtor’s estimate of a home’s current value does not carry weight in a formal appeal. What matters is comparable sales data, equity comparisons, and price-per-square-foot analysis drawn from similar properties. “It’s not rocket science, but it’s not super simple either,” Kieta acknowledges.

Missing a filing deadline is also a hard stop. Once the Board of Review window closes, that avenue is gone, and without a Board of Review decision on record, a homeowner cannot escalate to the Property Tax Appeal Board. For many clients, the practical value of working with a firm is simply making sure those deadlines do not slip.

Rising Values, and Rising Bills

The broader anxiety driving more homeowners to appeal is not hard to explain. Illinois consistently ranks alongside New Jersey for the highest property tax rates in the country, and assessed values have been moving upward in step with a housing market where homes in parts of the Chicago area are regularly selling above list price.

“Tax rates are continuing to rise, values are continuing to rise, which is supported by the market,” Kieta says. “The taxpayers are really tired of paying more and more in property taxes.”

Part of what makes the Illinois situation particularly difficult to resolve is structural. A significant share of property tax revenue – in some municipalities, between 70 and 90 percent – flows directly into public pension funds rather than toward schools, roads, or emergency services. The state’s unfunded pension liability currently sits at roughly $150 billion. That dynamic helps explain why residents often feel a disconnect between what they pay and what they see delivered in services.

The comparison to other states is stark. Kieta points to his own situation: his parents own a newer home in Tennessee and pay under $2,000 a year in property taxes. His older home in DuPage County runs close to $9,000. Both households have access to public schools, roads, and municipal services.

What Is Happening Outside Cook County

For homeowners in the collar counties – DuPage, Lake, McHenry, and Will – the last formal reassessment cycle ran in 2023. But that does not mean assessed values have stayed flat. In the years between reassessments, townships apply multipliers called equalizers, and recent figures have ranged from seven to fifteen percent in some areas. The practical effect on a tax bill is similar to a formal reassessment, even though the mechanism differs.

Looking ahead, 2027 is shaping up to be a significant year. The surrounding counties operate on a four-year reassessment cycle, meaning a large number of properties will be formally revalued at once. For homeowners who have not engaged with the appeals process before, that cycle will likely be the moment their bills reflect current market conditions most directly.

In the near term, the southwest suburbs of Cook County are already in the middle of a reassessment year, and many property owners in those townships are seeing substantial increases on their notices, a predictable but jarring part of the cycle for those encountering it for the first time.

A Process Worth Understanding

For real estate investors and property owners navigating the Illinois market, the appeals process is not a long shot. Kieta estimates the odds of securing a reduction at roughly even, depending on the strength of the comparable data. For residential properties in denser urban areas where similar homes are plentiful, the evidence base for an appeal is generally easier to build.

The advice is straightforward: file the appeal, use actual sales and equity data rather than informal valuations, and do not miss the deadline. For those who want additional support, firms that handle property tax appeals – including Kieta Law – manage the volume work through a structured process, reviewing evidence packages, identifying the best comparable sales, and submitting appeals across multiple townships on a rolling basis throughout the year. Other firms and solo practitioners offer similar services across the state, and homeowners can also file on their own through the Board of Review.

One reform that could change the calculus for homeowners is an assessed value cap similar to those in Georgia and Texas, where homestead properties are protected from increases beyond a set percentage regardless of market movement. Kieta has followed proposed legislation along those lines in Illinois but does not expect it to advance soon.

Until that changes, the appeals window remains one of the few tools available to property owners looking to keep their tax burden in check. For homeowners watching their bills climb year after year, the question is not whether the process works – it is whether they will use it before the next deadline passes.

About the Expert: David Kieta is the founding attorney at Kieta Law LLC, a property tax appeals firm serving Illinois homeowners and investors. His background includes experience at the Cook County Board of Review and helping establish O’Connor and Associates’ Illinois operation.

This article is based on information provided by the expert source cited above. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or real estate advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult qualified professionals before making any real estate or financial decisions.