Cook County property tax first installments due Tuesday for 300K homeowners

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Tuesday is the deadline for about 300,000 property owners in Cook County to pay the first installment of their property taxes.

Property owners who miss the deadline will have to pay late charges imposed by state law, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said.

Payments made at cookcountytreasurer.com before 11:59 p.m. Tuesday will be recorded as on time.

"You may also use the website to search $79 million in available refunds going back 20 years," Pappas said in a statement. "You may also verify your property tax exemptions, which lower the tax bill. Homeowners may be missing out on $40 million in exemptions."

Late payments will be charged 1.5 percent per month.

To pay online at the treasurer's website, select the blue box labeled "Pay Online For Free," and search by address or Property Index Number. There is no fee for paying from your bank account.

To search for refunds, select the purple box labeled "Your Property Tax Overview" and look for results under "Are There Any Overpayments on Your PIN?" or "Have You Received Your Exemptions in These Tax Years?"