Tax Guide

Village of Skokie 2020 Property Tax Levy (Payable in 2021) - Key PointsDollar bill chart 2020 taxes - final installment (JPG)

  • The Village’s tax levy of $15.4 million is the same as it was in 1990 due to the self-imposed property tax freeze.
  • Based on an average, the Village accounted for less than 6.24% of an average property tax bill for 2020.
  • Over the thirty years of the self-imposed property tax freeze, Skokie’s percent of an average taxpayer’s property tax bill has decreased from 16% in 1990 to 6.24% in 2020.
  • Based on an average Skokie taxpayer’s property tax bill, school districts account for an average of 70.8% of the tax bill for 2020.
  • Elementary schools averaged 42.4% and high schools averaged 28.3% for 2020.
  • Resident’s individual taxes paid to the Village vary, however, on their individual level of assessment and the school districts in which they reside. The term "assessment" reflects the valuation of the property by the Cook County Assessor’s Office. Cook County reassesses properties every three years. The current tax bills are the third bills to be issued in the three-year assessment cycle.
  • Depending on the level of the assessment for each property, any given resident’s Village of Skokie property tax line may show an increase/decrease or even remain somewhat constant. This is all a byproduct of the tax extension process over which Skokie does not have control.

A Note About Business vs. Residential Property Taxes

In Cook County, the amount of property taxes paid by each property owner depend on two factors: the final tax rate and the assessed value as determined by the County Assessor and equalized by the State of Illinois. 

While residential properties are typically assessed at 10% of market value, commercial properties like offices and retail buildings are assessed at 25% of their market values. Practically, this means that even though commercial and industrial properties make up 48% of the total assessed value of all Cook County property, they contribute 50% of the total tax levied. While the 2% difference may not seem significant, it equated to $2.8 million for the 2020 tax levy collected in 2021. The average total annual tax bill for a commercial property is $31,090 while the average for a residential property is $5,969 (based on 2020 tax year).

Property Tax Questions

Please contact the Niles Township Assessor’s Office at 847-673-9300 or at the Niles Township Assessor website or the Cook County Assessor’s Office with questions about your property tax assessment. 

Property Tax Appeals

Questions on property tax appeals can be handled on the Cook County Assessor’s website or by phoning the local office at 847-470-7237, the office is located at:

Cook County Assessor’s Office
5600 Old Orchard Road
Room 149
Skokie, IL 60077

Bill Payment
Contact the Cook County Treasurer for assistance with bill payment and other property tax issues at the Cook County Treasurer’s Office website or phone 312-443-5100.

Cook County Surviving Spouse Tax Abatement

The Cook County Board of Commissioners has passed an ordinance to authorize property tax abatement for the surviving spouses of Cook County’s fallen heroes. The program serves surviving spouses of a fallen police officer, soldier or rescue worker. The Cook County Board of Review administers the program for Cook County, and also for the City of Chicago that has a similar program. See more information

Sales Tax

10.25% on general merchandise went into effect on January 1, 2016 (see tax table)
7.25% on registered motor vehicles. 

Sales taxes are collected and administered by the Illinois Department of Revenue.  Please call for information regarding sales and use taxes 1-800-732-8866.

Food and Beverage Tax - 2%

Please click here for the Food and Beverage Tax Remittance Form.

Municipal Amusement Surcharge - 2%

Please click here for the Municipal Amusement Surcharge Return Form 

Packaged Liquor Tax - 2%

Please click here for the Packaged Liquor Tax Return Form

Simplified Telecommunications Tax - 6%

The Simplified Telecommunications tax is imposed by the Village of Skokie and collected by and administered by the Illinois Department of Revenue (see tax table).

Hotel/Motel Tax - 7.5%

The Hotel/Motel tax is imposed and collected by the Village of Skokie.

Self-Storage User Fee - 5%

Please click here for the Self-Storage User Fee Return Form

Aggregate Property Tax Rates in Skokie

By elementary school district (per $100 of equalized assessed valuation).  The Village’s portion per $100 of assessed valuation is only $0.56 for the 2020 Tax Levy.

2020 Tax Levy (Per $100 of Equalized Assessed Valuation)
School District 68.0 - $2.73
School District 69.0 - $5.49
School District 72.0 - $2.02
School District 73.0 - $4.44
School District 73.5 - $5.00
School District 65.0 - $3.26

Local Fuel Tax

$.05 (5 cents) per gallon.  This tax is collected and administered by the Village of Skokie Finance Department.

Utility Tax

Approximately 5% on electric, natural gas and water. Collected as part of consumer’s utility bill.