Will County, IL: Property Taxes, Senior Freeze and CPA Help

Will County stretches from the fast-growing suburbs around Bolingbrook, Plainfield and Romeoville to Joliet and the farmland farther south, and it includes parts of Naperville and Aurora. If you own property here, your tax bill reflects work by several offices that rarely talk to the homeowner at the same time. This guide sorts out who decides what, what the 2026 calendar looked like, and where the savings opportunities are.

The 2026 payment calendar

1. May 1, 2026: tax bills for tax year 2025 mailed.
2. June 1, 2026: first installment due.
3. September 1, 2026: second installment due.
4. Fall 2026: unpaid bills face a newspaper publication cutoff and then the annual tax sale. The Treasurer's 2026 notice required payment to be posted by 4:30 p.m. on November 30, with no postmarks accepted.

Payments at designated banks and credit unions can take up to two weeks to post, and online card payments carry a non-refundable fee, so for a deadline it is safer to pay online early or in person at the Treasurer's office in Joliet. Next year's dates are normally posted by the Treasurer in spring. Seniors who struggle with the bill should ask the Treasurer about the Senior Citizen Tax Deferral Program.

Exemptions and the senior freeze

Will County borders Cook, so the general homestead exemption can reduce assessed value by up to $8,000 and the senior homestead exemption by up to $8,000 for owners 65 and older. The Supervisor of Assessments publishes the forms, including the senior homestead application, and mails renewal applications each spring (the 2026 mailing went out April 10). It also holds exemption events where owners can renew in person.

The low-income senior assessment freeze keeps your assessed value at a base amount instead of letting it rise. It needs an application every year, and applicants must be 65 or older, own and live in the home, and meet the household income limit. Because that limit increases for the 2026 assessment year, some owners who were turned away before may now qualify, so it is worth asking again.

How assessments work here

Township assessors set values, the Supervisor of Assessments reviews and equalizes them, and the Board of Review hears complaints. Illinois property is generally assessed at one-third of market value, and the Supervisor's office does not set tax rates: the taxing districts that levy the tax do. The Board of Review complaint period opens in August through its online portal. An appeal can only change your assessment, never the rate, and a Board of Review decision can be taken to the state Property Tax Appeal Board within 30 days of the decision's postmark.

Sales tax and the community

Will is in the regional transit district, where the transit sales tax rose by 0.25 points to 1.00% on August 1, 2026. About 21,700 Will County residents, roughly 3.1%, identify as Asian Indian alone or in combination (American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024), and we help many of these families with cross-border questions under the US-India tax treaty. Other Will County cities we serve include Plainfield, Joliet and Romeoville.

How we can help

We can review your assessment notice and exemptions, tell you whether an appeal is realistic, and show how property tax interacts with the state and local tax deduction. For owners of rentals and small businesses, we prepare returns, run payroll and keep the books, and we coordinate with your lender or escrow account when bills change. For anything about your own property, check with a qualified professional.

Frequently asked questions

General information only, not tax, legal or accounting advice for your situation. Rules, limits and deadlines change; confirm the current rules with the official source or a qualified professional before you act. Reading this page does not create a professional relationship with CPA Tax Payroll and Accounting Corp.