Frequently Asked Property Tax Questions

Why are my taxes so high?
What will happen if I don’t pay my property taxes?
I did not pay my taxes last year. Where can I find out how much I owe?
I don’t know my parcel number, how can I get it?
What if I have other questions?
Where can I get information on tax sales?
When are taxes due?
How do I know if my taxes have been sold?
What should I do if my taxes have been sold?
What should I do if I believe my taxes have been sold in error, or if I have paid my taxes and they have not been credited to my property?
What is a PIN?
What is a Tax Levy?
How much can a Tax Levy increase annually?
What is the Truth-in-Taxation Law?
What is a TIF District and how does it affect me?
What is an Enterprise Zone and how does it affect me?
My property was just annexed...what happens now?
How is the Drainage District tax on my tax bill determined?
What is a Special Service Area and how does it affect me?
There is a bond issue on the ballot...when will it effect my tax bill?
There is a tax rate increase on the ballot...when will it effect my tax bill?

Why are my taxes so high?

Your taxes may be high (or higher than they were last year) for any or all of three general reasons.

Increase in your tax rates due to lower assessments, a referendum, or a CPI increase tax levy increase.
Your assessment has increased from the prior year.
Your are not receiving exemptions your are entitled to.

What will happen if I don’t pay my property taxes?

Your taxes will be sold at the annual tax sale. When your taxes are sold, you will retain the right to redeem your property for two to three years, depending on the type of property. To redeem the taxes, you will have to pay costs and interest in addition to any tax due. Contact the Tax Redemption Department.

I did not pay my taxes last year. Where can I find out how much I owe?

Call the Madison County Clerk at (618) 692-6290 and ask for an estimate of redemption. Give them your parcel number.

I don’t know my parcel number, how can I get it?

Contact the Chief County Assessment Office or the Madison County Treasurer’s Office.

What if I have other questions?

For other questions about: • Property valuation - Call your Township Assessor. • Exemptions or Appeals - Call the Madison Chief County Assessment Office at.(618) 692-6270 • Appeals – Call the Madison County Board of Review at (618) 692-6210 •Tax rates or Tax redemption - Call the Madison County Clerk at (618) 692-6290 • Tax bills - Call the Madison County Treasurer's Office at (618) 692-6260.

Where can I get information on tax sales?

Contact the Treasurer's Office.

When are taxes due?

Current taxes are paid to the Treasurer's Office, which mails the tax bills to the last "Taxpayer of Record" on file with the Treasurer's Office. To make sure you or your representative is listed as the current Taxpayer of Record, visit the Treasurer's Office website. Under Illinois law, your taxes are due and must be paid on time, whether or not you receive a tax bill.

How do I know if my taxes have been sold?

Taxpayers receive a notice before the annual tax sale begins. The letter is sent by the Madison County Treasurer's Office to inform taxpayers that balances still due will be offered for sale. Once taxes are sold, a notice prepared by the tax buyer, called a "Take Notice," is mailed by the County Clerk's office. This notice is prepared by the delinquent tax purchaser and mailed within the first four and one-half months after the date of sale. The notice before the sale and the Take Notice are sent by certified mail to the last Taxpayer of Record on file with the Treasurer's Office.

Also, a notice on your current tax bill may provide an indication that your taxes have been sold, or that you have other taxes that are due and that may have been sold or may be available for sale at any time.

If you know or suspect that you have delinquent taxes or that your taxes have been sold, please call the County Clerk's office at (618) 692-6290 to verify the status.

What should I do if my taxes have been sold?

If your taxes have been sold, you should immediately obtain an Estimate of Redemption. This is a calculation of the amount you need to pay to redeem the sale and remove the threat of loss of the property. Once you obtain the estimate, verify that it is for the correct property. You are advised to redeem the taxes immediately, as penalties and fees can increase and can multiply over time. These taxes and any fees and penalties must be paid in full; there are no payment plans applicable to redemption payments.

What should I do if I believe my taxes have been sold in error, or if I have paid my taxes and they have not been credited to my property?

You should immediately contact the Treasurer's Office with any documentation you have to support your claim. You should always keep a copy of the check or money order you used to pay your taxes, as well as any receipts received that will allow you to prove that you paid the full amount on time. This will help with any dispute you have over your property tax payments.

What is a PIN?

A PIN, or property index number (also called a permanent real estate index number), is a unique 15 to 18 digit number that represents a parcel of land for taxation purposes. The PIN is actually a numerical code for the legal description of the parcel, as that parcel has been defined for the purposes of real estate taxes. The formatted code points to the parcel's location on the county tax maps.

Many deeds reflect the PIN or PINs covered in the transfer of the property. Your tax bill will also show the PIN. If you need to locate a PIN, contact the Supervisor of Assessments.

What is a Tax Levy?

It is the annual amount of money a taxing body certifies to the County Clerk to be raised by property taxation.

How much can a Tax Levy increase annually?

A taxing district can raise their levy up to 5% of the amount of money they received in taxes from the previous year. If the district raises their levy more than 5%, they are required to comply with the Truth-in-Taxation Law.

What is the Truth-in-Taxation Law?

Truth-in-Taxation requires a public hearing to discuss the tax levy if there is an increase of more than 5%. The public notice of the hearing must be published in the general section of a newspaper in the form of a 1/8^th page ad with a heavy black border. The hearing is informational only; no vote or approval from the public is required.

What is a TIF District and how does it affect me?

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts are economic tools used by municipalities to fund development projects. The primary purpose of a TIF is to renovate blighted areas to entice new business.

The total from your tax bill is the same if you are in or out of a TIF district. If your property is in a TIF district, you will notice that the TIF tax amount will usually increase each year. This is because your property usually increases in assessment. The difference between your bill and a bill that is not in a TIF is that part of your taxes will be distributed to a TIF district instead of to the county, schools, townships, etc.

What is an Enterprise Zone and how does it affect me?

Enterprise Zone (EZ) Districts are economic tools used by municipalities to fund development projects. The primary purpose of an EZ is to entice commercial and/or industrial development to create new jobs.

If you have residential property, you are not eligible for an EZ abatement (reduction). If you have commercial or industrial property you may be eligible for an abatement of the taxes attributable to the increase in assessment caused by the new construction.

My property was just annexed...what happens now?

There are several ways that a taxing district can annex your property. If you have questions about how, why, or when your property was annexed, you must call that district. When your property is annexed you will receive the services that district provides and your tax bill will reflect that district’s tax rate.

How is the Drainage District tax on my bill determined?

A drainage district determines your tax amount by the type of property you own. The more run-off your property has, the more your tax is. For instance there is a lesser drainage tax on a vacant lot than a parking lot. The Courts will approve your annual drainage amount that the district has set. Each year that amount will be on your tax bill. The only authority to change a drainage tax is district itself or the courts.

What is a Special Service area and how does it affect me?

Special service areas are designated by municipalities to fund development projects that will only affect a specific area. Some examples are downtown beautification, roads or drainage/sewer projects. If your property is in a special service area you will pay the tax related to the project costs.

There is a bond issue on the ballot...when will it effect my tax bill?

If the bond referendum is successful and filed with the County Clerk prior to March 1^st, the earliest the tax can be on your bill is the bill you receive later that spring. If it is filed after March 1^st, the tax will not be on your tax bill until the following spring.

There is a tax rate increase on the ballot...when will it effect my tax bill?

A tax increase on the spring or fall ballot will be on your tax bill the following spring. However, if it is a school tax increase on the spring ballot, it could be on the bill you receive later that spring.