Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas has mailed out nearly 1.8 million Second Installment property tax bills. Payments are due Oct. 1. The new bills will bring the total amount billed countywide for 2020 to more than $16.1 billion, an increase of more than 3.4 percent from last year. A recent analysis by the Treasurer’s Office found the tax increase is hitting commercial property owners and Black and Latino suburban property owners the hardest. To make a payment online, go to the website:

• Select the blue box labeled “Pay Online for Free”

• Search by property address or enter your Property Index Number (PIN)

• There is no fee if you pay from your bank account

Taxpayers also may use the website to search for $72 million in available refunds going back 20 years and to verify property tax exemptions, which can lower the tax bill. Homeowners may be missing out on $43 million in exemptions. To search for refunds or missing exemptions, visit cookcountytreasurer.com:

• Select the purple box labeled “Your Property Tax Overview”

• Search by property address or enter your Property Index Number (PIN)

• Or the results under “Have You Received Your Exemptions in These Tax Years?”

Late payments are charged 1.5 percent per month, as required by Illinois law.

For more information, visit www.cookcountytreasurer.com