Cook County considers property tax deadline flexibility

The Cook County Board of Commissioners are considering delaying penalties or interest on tax payments made after the May 15 deadline, giving property owners until later this summer to get current on payments to local government and other entities that include the local schools and hospital.

Cook County Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers said during a committee of the whole meeting April 21 that there won’t be a statewide directive to counties saying tax payments and filing can be outright delayed, as was the case with income taxes this year.

However, there is the option of delaying any penalties or interest should taxpayers need more time due to financial impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Cook County Board of Commissioners discussed this scenario during the work-session style meeting on Tuesday. However, no action can be taken by the board during a committee of the whole meeting. It is likely a resolution on local property taxes and delaying penalties for the May 2020 payments is to be on the agenda for the next board meeting on April 28.

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs spoke with Board Chair Myron Bursheim about this news and other COVID-19 related topics that came up during the recent work session.