Governor Pritzker Waives Penalties and Interest for Cook County Taxpayers Affected by Severe Weather and Flooding

CHICAGO - Gov. JB Pritzker announced today that individuals and businesses impacted by the severe weather and flooding in Cook County on September 17 may request waivers of penalties and interest on state taxes if they cannot file their returns or make payments on time. Those impacted Cook County taxpayers are eligible to request a waiver of penalties and interest for income, withholding, sales, specialty, and excise taxes.

"Many Cook County communities suffered extensive damage due to last month's weather and flooding," said Governor JB Pritzker. "To support those affected, I have signed a Disaster Proclamation and the state will waive the penalties for taxpayers who need more time to file their state taxes."

Taxpayers seeking waivers of penalties and interest for taxes should send a brief written explanation of why they cannot timely file or pay to the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR). They should provide their full name, account number (if using a Social Security number, include only the last four digits), mailing address, and an estimate of when they believe they can file or pay their taxes.

Requests may be sent electronically to REV.DisasterRelief@illinois.gov or via postal mail using the address on the return. Taxpayers who mail their request to IDOR should write "Severe Storm - September 17, 2023" on the top of the return in red and include their explanation for penalties and interest abatement request.

Property owners who may have been impacted by severe weather should contact the Cook County Assessor's Office if they wish to file an appeal due to any property damage.