FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           

            Christine J. Johnson, DeKalb County Treasurer, mailed 43,477 DeKalb County real estate tax bills Friday, May 1, 2009.  Taxpayers are reminded that the bill is a self-mailer with the phrase “This is Your Tax Bill” in large, red letters on the front.   Taxpayers only receive one bill per year with two payment stubs.  Bills have been mailed using a first class, presort rate permit saving approximately $4,000.00 in bill processing and mailing costs.

The Treasurer’s office will be collecting a total dollar amount of $183,118,029.17.  A breakdown of this total is:

            DeKalb County                                   $18,708,831.05                    10.22 percent      

            Forest Preserve                                   $ 1,492,777.43                        .82 percent

            Township & Road & Bridge                $8,365,649.75                      4.57 percent

            School Districts                                 $106,410,037.15                   58.11 percent

            Community College Districts            $11,483,839.91                     6.27 percent

            Cities and Villages                             $12,760,710.58                     6.97 percent

            Park Districts                                       $6,350,436.55                        3.46 percent

            Library Districts                                  $3,752,845.32                         2.05 percent

            Fire Districts                                       $3,479,677.91                         1.90 percent

            TIF Districts                                       $10,209,206.36                        5.57 percent

            Drainage                                                 $104,017.16                          .06 percent

            In response to a growing number of requests from taxpayers that would like to pay their property taxes using a credit card, the Treasurer’s Office has expanded the credit card program.   “We are very pleased to be able to offer our taxpayers the convenience of charging their real estate taxes.  Over the years, we have received many requests for this payment option, and are glad to be able to provide it,” said Johnson.

            The DeKalb County Treasurer’s office will accept Visa, Master Card, American Express and Discover Card via the Internet as a means of payment for property taxes.  “The average American has 3.4 credit cards, and more than $1.75 million in DeKalb County real estate taxes were paid by credit card last year,” says Christine Johnson, DeKalb County Treasurer.

Taxpayers can also pay with their Discover Card in person at the Treasurer’s office, or by mail.  The form on the reverse side of the tax bill should be completed and returned with the installment stubs the taxpayer wishes to pay.  Please note that a convenience fee will be added for those wishing to charge their real estate taxes on their credit cards.

Taxpayers may also pay their taxes online with a direct debit from their bank account by visiting the county’s website, www.dekalbcounty.org.  Taxpayers will be able to enter payments online up to 30 days prior to the date they want the payment to be deducted from their account, and will receive an e-mail confirmation that their payment has been sent.  “This feature is particularly helpful for those who will not be in the area around the time taxes are due.”  Johnson said.

Taxpayers should note that the payment stubs are located on the top of the bill.  They should return either the first or second installment stub with the corresponding payment, or both stubs if they are paying both installments.

     Taxpayers will notice that bar coding appears on the stubs.  This feature will allow the Treasurer’s Office to scan payments into the property tax collection system.  This will decrease the time needed to post payments, which translates into funds being distributed to the taxing bodies more quickly.  Taxpayers are asked not to mark on the payment stubs so the bar coding remains readable.

            The tax bill contains a Site Address.  This is the actual location of the property. “We added this feature to assist taxpayers with multiple parcels in determining which bill is for which parcel.  We are asking taxpayers who find that data field blank to call the Chief County Supervisor of Assessments Office at 815/895-7120 to provide them with this information,” Johnson said.

            The column printed on the left side of the bill is the calculation of this year’s tax bill.  It displays the Equalized Assessed Value, itemizes their exemptions, shows the tax rate, and provides the total bill amount.  This is where taxpayers can check to make sure they have all the exemptions to which they are entitled.  If a dollar figure is listed after the exemption name, the taxpayer is receiving that exemption.

Taxpayers will notice that the Homestead Exemption Limited amount for properties that are owner-occupied is $5,500, up $500 from previous years, which provides an approximate savings of $450 in taxes paid.  In addition, the Homestead Exemption for those 65 years of age and over is now $4,000, which provides an approximate savings of $320 in taxes paid.  Taxpayers may contact the Chief County Supervisor of Assessments Office to determine if any additional exemptions may apply to their bill.

The column on the right side of the bill contains statutory data, items required by

law to be included on the tax bill.

A useful piece of information found on the right side of the tax bill is the 2007 Equalized Assessed Value.  Having this information will assist the taxpayer in determining what caused their tax bill to change from the prior year.  They can compare the Equalized Assessed Values, and the prior year’s and current year’s tax rates to see what changed.

            Drainage taxes are billed directly on the real estate tax bill.  Drainage taxes are levied as a lump sum and are not included in the regular tax calculation. 

Please examine your tax bill carefully upon receipt.  Taxpayers should note that the bills are not due on the same date each year.  The first installment due date is June 3, 2009, and the second installment is due September 4, 2009.  This is the only bill taxpayers will receive.

If paying by check, taxpayers should make the check payable to DeKalb County Collector.  Taxpayers should make sure to include their parcel numbers on their check. They need to make sure their check is signed, and that the numeric amount they have written matches the written-out dollar amount on the second line of their check. 

If you receive a bill for property you have sold, please mail the bill to the new owner.  If a mortgage company is to pay your bill, please contact them to determine if they require a copy of the bill.  Many mortgage companies now pay electronically and do not require a copy.

If you have questions regarding your tax bill, please contact the DeKalb County Treasurer at (815) 895-7112, or visit our website at www.dekalbcounty.org.

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