Under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap increase took effect in tax year 2025 and will hold until 2029. This change will be particularly beneficial for property owners in New York since it is a high-tax state, meaning the deduction cap increase will provide tax relief for property owners. Historical Context Behind SALT Before the recent increase, the original SALT deduction cap was $10,000 per year for joint filers and $5,000 per year for married individuals filing separately. The cap was introduced by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in December 2017 and was applied to tax years 2018 – 2024. Before 2018, the SALT deduction was uncapped, meaning taxpayers could deduct the full amount of state and local taxes owed. The TCJA’s cap, introduced in 2017, capped it at $10,000 (for joint) and $5,000 (for individuals) to help advocate... Read More

Nestled in Kane County, IL, Plano Township is one of the many hybrid rural-suburban areas outside of Chicago. As part of the collar counties, Plato Township is independent from the big city but is still influenced by being in the orbit of Chicago. While Chicago is famous for its ridiculous property taxes, this is not an issue that Plato has been able to escape. Illinois boasts the second-highest property taxes in the United States and the nexus of these skyrocketing costs is Cook County. As more people flee the property market of Cook County for greener pastures, it is places like Plato Township that are feeling the pinch. While it once took a statewide reassessment to cause property value spikes, it is now a common occurrence that happens every year. Plano Township has seen a flurry of activity in recent years and 2025 looks to bring the highest values ever... Read More

Norwood Park was the very first Cook County township to undergo the triennial property reassessment and ended up being a harbinger of what was to come. Since then, the Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO) has been handing out large increases to the people of the northern townships. From Evanston to Elk Grove, townships have been seeing major increases across the board. Norwood Park has been something of a pace-setter throughout the process this year and has been cursed with some of the highest property value spikes in all of Illinois. With no legislative relief coming in the near future, it is up to the people of Norwood Park to take matters into their own hands. The only option currently on the table is to pursue a property tax appeal. Unlike the rest of Illinois, Cook County grants townships a much larger window of opportunity to protest their values, but this... Read More

For property owners in Atlanta, Georgia, the payment deadline for property taxes is approaching soon and will be here before you know it. Particularly for Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties, the payment deadlines will be due in early fall. The property tax bills are expected to hit mailboxes in August and September, so homeowners must be diligent about keeping an eye on their mail to avoid missing payment. Once tax bills have been sent out in late July and early September, homeowners have a 60-day window to make payment before penalties and interest kick in. It is important to pay on time to avoid any penalties and late fees that can cause financial strain. Homeowners can stay ahead of the payment deadline by checking their mailboxes in August and September and by keeping an eye on their respective county’s tax commissioner and assessor websites. Atlanta Metro Area: Payment Deadline... Read More

The triennial reassessment is wrapping up in northern Cook County but the fall-out from it is just beginning. With another year of evaluations in the books, the Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO) is handing out property valuations for property owners across Cook County. These will then be used to calculate the infamous property tax bills that people all over the Chicago area hate and fear. While some steps have been taken to avoid the massive jumps experienced in 2023, anyone who has had their property evaluated by the CCAO is sure to see an uptick in their taxes. Evanston Township was one of the centerpiece areas to be reassessed in 2025. The CCAO has released the values they will use, and they are gigantic. Total home values are up 23%, while the taxable value of commercial properties has experienced a rise of 35%. With legislation stalled, the only way to... Read More