Sugar Grove and Reassessment
Like the rest of Kane County, Sugar Grove Township will not go through reassessment until 2027. Reassessment has generally created large increases in both taxable value and property taxes. While it may not experience the same level of reassessment in Cook County, the people of Sugar Grove can expect to see a surge property values on both homes and businesses. Even outside of the assessor’s reexaminations, tax rates still increase, and the equalization factor is inconsistent, often adding to already established property values.
Options for Tax Reduction
Sugar Grove Township, like the rest of Illinois, has several options to pursue lower property taxes to achieve lower property taxes. While tax rates and the equalization factor cannot be lowered, the values used to calculate property taxes can. The market value of a property, which represents what the property would be expected to sell for on the open market, is first established by the assessor. The assessment ratio is then applied, meaning 33.3% of a property’s market value is used for assessment. The equalization factor is then applied, creating the equalized assessed value (EAV), to which tax rates are applied. Lowering the EAV or market value can lead to reduced taxes, and there are a few ways to achieve this.
Exemptions:
These are applied to EAV directly, shielding a portion of the home or business from taxation. The Kane County homestead exemption, for instance, reduces the EAV of eligible homes by $8,000. There are other exemptions available as well, including those for disabled homeowners, veterans, people over 65, and seniors who have low incomes. Once awarded, most exemptions will not need to be renewed every year, giving property owners peace of mind.
Property Tax Appeals:
These are more complicated than exemptions, as they are protests against the values set by the assessor. While they take more work and require evidence, they can be a true boon for both homeowners and businesses. They can be used to enhance exemptions or provide relief for properties that receive little exemption support, such as rental homes. Property tax appeals can be filed because of overassessment or a lack of uniformity.
Why Appeals Matter
While appeals first gained widespread attention for many Illinois property owners in 2023, following a disastrous Cook County reassessment, savvy property owners have been using them for decades. The ability to correct errors made by the assessor can generate significant savings and can help ensure that taxpayers are only paying what they should. Since the assessor bases market value on the past three years of property sales, these values can often be outdated, leading to much higher costs in the long run. Local and state governments have also been pushing appeals for both homeowners and businesses, with workshops and other educational programs being offered.
Appeals in Sugar Grove Township, as in most of Illinois, can only be filed with the Board of Review (BOR) during a strict window. While taxpayers in Cook County have multiple deadlines, the rest of Illinois only has one shot to appeal. Because there is a limited deadline every year, taxpayers in Sugar Grove can feel a lot of pressure to get everything right. In order to be successful in an appeal, the right evidence must be gathered, while grounds for appeal must be chosen. If the deadline is missed, then there will be no recourse left when it comes to challenging inaccurate or unfair values from the assessor.
June 1, 2026: First installment of property taxes is due
August 24, 2026: BOR appeal deadline
Pending: Second installment of property taxes is due
O’Connor Offers Premium Evidence
The two most important aspects of an appeal are choosing grounds and gathering evidence. These two pieces of the puzzle need to match exactly. The two primary grounds are overassessment and unequal assessment. Overassessment is when the market value for a home or business is higher than what it would realistically sell for. This is challenged by gathering sales records dating back three years. Lack of uniformity in assessment occurs when two neighboring properties are not assessed in an equitable manner. In order to prove this, the property owner will need to gather as many assessments from their area as possible. In either case, these comparable properties will need to be as comparable as possible in terms of size, age, location, and the number of rooms.
O’Connor does all the heavy lifting by taking care of the evidence gathering for our clients. We start by using data-driven techniques to identify assessment errors or overvaluations of the property. We then use our proprietary databases to find the exact comparable properties needed to give our clients the best possible chance of securing a property tax reduction. Once all of this is complete, we will coordinate an appeal with a law firm that has years of property tax experience. Our clients will not be charged upfront for this evidence or analysis, and we will only be paid a portion of the savings if they are able to lower their taxes.
