RAST POREZA NA IMOVINU VEĆI OD RASTA INFLACIJE I PROSEČNE PLATE
Porezi na imovinu u okrugu Kuk rasli su dvostruko brže od inflacije u poslednje tri decenije, prisiljavajući vlasnike kuća i preduzeća da predaju sve veći procenat svoje godišnje zarade lokalnim samoupravama, prema studiji koju je u ponedeljak objavila blagajnica Marija Papas.
Tokom tih 30 godina, porezi na imovinu nametnuti u okrugu Kuk porasli su za 182% na 19,2 milijarde dolara, dok je inflacija porasla za manje od 91%, a prosečne plate za 161%.
Studija navodi da Ministarstvo prihoda Ilinoisa radi na sveobuhvatnom izveštaju o porezu na imovinu i sugeriše da je sada vreme da zakonodavci Ilinoisa usvoje značajnu poresku reformu i pronađu načine da lokalne poreske agencije smanje potrošnju.
How State Laws Failed to Stop Decades of Skyrocketing Property Taxes
„Godišnja povećanja poreza su neumoljiva, izvlačeći sve više novca iz džepova ljudi“, rekla je Papas. „Viđam to svaki dan u svojoj kancelariji, ljudi se pitaju kako će platiti poreske račune ili čak da li mogu da ostanu u svojim domovima.
„Ilinois je 2025. godine imao sumnjivu čast da ima najvišu stopu poreza na stambene nekretnine u naciji“, rekao je Papas. „Čikago takođe ima najvišu komercijalnu stopu u SAD. Vreme je da guverner, državni zakonodavci i lideri lokalne samouprave osmisle plan reformi koji funkcioniše za poreske obveznike — umesto da naprave još jedan izveštaj koji se stavlja na policu da skuplja paučinu.“ Porezi na imovinu su vrtoglavo porasli uprkos državnom zakonu koji je osmišljen da ograniči povećanje poreza, prvenstveno zato što su vladini lideri iskoristili rupe u zakonu.
Ključna među tim rupama jeste neograničavanje povećanja poreza na imovinu u posebnim poreskim okruzima, gde se deo novca od poreza na imovinu izdvaja za subvencionisanje privatnog razvoja i stvaranja radnih mesta. Porezi u tim okruzima za finansiranje povećanja poreza, koji su se dramatično umnožili tokom godina, porasli su za više od 1.000%, prešavši 1,8 milijardi dolara u poreskoj 2024. godini.
Takođe, brže povećanje poreza od inflacije i rasta plata dovelo je do povećanja poreza od 189% koje su nametnuli školski okruzi od predškolskog do 12. razreda, što je daleko premašilo stopu inflacije od 91%. Školski okruzi su 2024. godine naplatili više od 10,5 milijardi dolara poreza, što čini skoro 55% ukupnog opterećenja porezom na imovinu u okrugu.
Studija „Kako državni zakoni nisu uspeli da zaustave decenije vrtoglavog rasta poreza na imovinu: Argument za reformu“, napominje da su državni zakonodavci odavno svesni neodržive uzlazne putanje poreza na imovinu, ali uprkos izradi mnoštva studija i zakonodavnih inicijativa, nisu uspeli da pruže olakšanje preduzećima i vlasnicima kuća.
U nekim slučajevima, državna vlada je pogoršala problem povećanjem lokalnih penzija i smanjenjem udela državnih prihoda koji se prenose na gradove i sela, čiji su se porezi povećali za 201% tokom perioda od 30 godina.
Saopštenje kanelarije blagajnice Cook County Marije Papas
Pappas Study CallsforHaltto Runaway Property Taxes
Cook County property taxes have grown at twice the rate of inflation over the past three decades, forcing home and business owners to turn over an ever-greater percentage of their annual earnings to local governments, according to a study released Monday by Treasurer Maria Pappas.
During those 30 years, property taxes imposed in Cook County grew by 182% to $19.2 billion, while inflation rose by less than 91% and average wages grew by 161%.
The study notes that the Illinois Department of Revenue is working on a comprehensive property tax report and suggests now is the time for Illinois lawmakers to pass significant tax reform and find ways for local taxing agencies to cut spending.
“The annual increases in taxes are relentless, taking more and more money out of peoples’ pockets,” Pappas said. “I see it every day in my office, with people wondering how they are going to pay their tax bills or even whether they can stay in their homes.
“Illinois in 2025 had the dubious distinction of having the highest residential property tax rate in the nation,” Pappas said. “Chicago also has the highest commercial rate in the U.S. It’s time for the governor, state lawmakers and local government leaders to come up with a reform plan that works for taxpayers — rather than produce another report that gets put on a shelf to gather cobwebs.”
Property taxes skyrocketed despite a state law designed to limit tax increases, primarily because government leaders have exploited loopholes in the law.
Key among those loopholes is placing no limits on property tax increases in special taxing districts, where a portion of property tax money is set aside to subsidize private development and job creation. Taxes in those tax increment finance districts, which have dramatically multiplied over the years, grew more than 1,000%, exceeding $1.8 billion in tax year 2024.
Also driving up taxes faster than inflation, and wage growth, was a 189% increase in taxes imposed by K-12 school districts that far outstripped the 91% inflation rate. School districts levied more than $10.5 billion in taxes in 2024, accounting for nearly 55% of the total county property tax burden.
The study, “How State Laws Failed to Stop Decades of Skyrocketing Property Taxes: A Case for Reform,” notes that state legislators have long been aware of the unsustainable upward trajectory in property taxes, but despite producing a slew of studies and legislative initiatives, have failed to provide relief for businesses and homeowners.
In some cases, state government made the problem worse by enhancing local government pension benefits and lowering the share of state revenue passed along to cities and villages, whose taxes increased by 201% over the 30-year period.
Cook County Treasurer
