Will Property Tax: Rates, Deadlines & Exemptions (2026)

Direct answer: For the 2026 Will County assessment year, the Board of Review complaint window is August 12 through Monday, September 14, 2026. File online through the Will County Board of Review Complaint Portal, or mail/bring the current 2026 Residential Complaint Form and evidence to the Supervisor of Assessments, 302 N. Chicago St., 2nd Floor, Joliet, IL 60432. (borcomplaints.willcountysoa.com)

The legal rule is 30 calendar days after publication of the current assessment list, and Will County’s own 2026 rules repeat that fully completed complaints must be filed by that deadline; its 2026 checklist names September 14, 2026. (willcountysoa.com)

How assessments work in Will

Will County assessments are not your tax bill. The local township assessor estimates market value, and residential property is generally assessed at 33.33% of fair market value. For 2026, Will County says assessments are based on sales data from 2023, 2024 and 2025, so a 2026 assessment is deliberately backward-looking and will affect the tax bill payable in 2027. (willcountysoa.com)

The formula is: market value ÷ 3 = assessed value; assessed value × equalization factor − exemptions = taxable EAV; EAV × your tax-code rate = tax bill. Will County’s Treasurer explains that the tax rate depends on your exact tax code—school, city/village, park, fire, library and other districts—not a single countywide rate. (willcounty.gov)

For a real-rate example, one official Joliet financial report cites Will County Clerk data for Joliet Township tax code #3011 with a representative 2024 total rate of 8.3758 per $100 of EAV. Use your own current bill’s tax-code rate for a precise estimate, because Plainfield, Bolingbrook, Naperville, Lockport, Frankfort, Mokena and rural townships can differ substantially. (joliet.gov)

Whether you should appeal

Appeal if the assessment is wrong—not simply because the tax bill is high. Will County’s 2026 Board rules say the legitimate bases are generally: overvaluation, assessment equity, physical-data discrepancy, or a claim that the property qualifies for a preferential assessment. The rules also say taxes paid, tax-rate changes, or the percentage increase from last year are not valid bases by themselves. (willcountysoa.com)

Good Will County residential evidence usually falls into one of two buckets. For overvaluation, use a recent arm’s-length sale of your own home, a full USPAP appraisal, or at least three comparable sales near your property, ideally in the same subdivision and township, similar in size, style, age, quality and condition. For equity, compare your assessed value with similar homes’ assessed values. (willcountysoa.com)

Also check exemptions before appealing. Will County lists the General Homestead Exemption with a maximum $8,000 EAV reduction for an owner-occupied principal residence; the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption also has a maximum $8,000 EAV reduction; the Disabled Persons Homestead Exemption is a $2,000 EAV reduction; and the 2026 Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze income limit is $75,000 for the 2026 assessment year, payable 2027. (willcountysoa.com)

Step-by-step how to file

1. Look up your PIN and property record. Will County’s Property Search Portal lets you search by PIN, address, sale date/amount, subdivision, owner name or property class. But for a residential complaint, the Board rules specifically require the front and back of the property record card from your local Township Assessor; the Supervisor of Assessments card alone is not accepted unless the township website data is current. (willcountysoa.com)

2. Talk to the township assessor quickly. Will County strongly recommends doing this first, because a data error may be corrected without a Board complaint. Do not wait on that conversation: state law does not extend the Board of Review deadline while you talk to the assessor. (willcountysoa.com)

3. Use the current form. Homeowners should use the official 2026 Residential Complaint Form. Other current Board forms include 2026 Farm Complaint Form, 2026 Commercial Complaint Form, 2026 Industrial Complaint Form, Affidavit of Hearing Waiver, BOR Complaint Disclosure Form, BOR Complaint Withdrawal Form, Signature Form, and Verification of Authority to represent Owner(s) of Real Property Form. Attorneys filing in 2026 must use the current notarized Will County authorization form. (borappeals.willcountysoa.com)

4. Attach all evidence at filing. For residential property, Will County requires two dated 2026 photos of your property—front and back—and front-view photos of all comparable properties, plus the township property record card and a written brief/letter explaining the factual reason for the complaint. If you submit no evidence, you get a five-minute “No Evidence Hearing,” and evidence generally is not accepted at the hearing. (willcountysoa.com)

5. File by an accepted method. Preferred filing is electronic submission at borcomplaints.willcountysoa.com. To e-file, download the PDF, complete it, print/sign/scan it, and upload it with evidence. You may also file by U.S. mail or in person at: Will County Office Building, ATTN: Supervisor of Assessments Office, 302 N. Chicago Street, 2nd Floor, Joliet, IL 60432. Will County says faxed or emailed complaint forms are not accepted. (borappeals.willcountysoa.com)

Mail counts by USPS postmark; private delivery counts by the shipper tracking label; complaints lacking a postmark and received after the deadline are rejected. Will County’s public complaint materials do not list a Board filing fee. (willcountysoa.com)

What happens after

The appeal authority is the Will County Board of Review, often called the BOR. The Board reviews written complaints that property is over- or under-assessed and may correct the assessment as appears just. (willcountysoa.com)

If you do not sign the hearing-waiver section, an in-person hearing is scheduled. Most residential and farm hearings are set in 15-minute intervals; commercial and industrial hearings are usually 20 minutes; “No Evidence” hearings are five minutes. The taxpayer or attorney presents first, answers Board questions, the township assessor may respond, and each side may give closing or rebuttal remarks. A single Board member may act as hearing officer, but at least two Board members must concur before a decision is final. (willcountysoa.com)

Residential and farm owners may choose a non-oral option by signing the Affidavit of Hearing Waiver. If you waive, the Board decides from the written evidence, including written assessor evidence, and you also waive rebuttal evidence. The portal also warns taxpayers to check 48 hours before a scheduled hearing in case an in-person hearing is replaced by a non-interactive hearing due to an unforeseen circumstance. (borappeals.willcountysoa.com)

Will County says official findings are posted on the Board of Review website and mailed after completion of the Board cycle; no written decisions are released before then. For the prior 2025 Board cycle, Will County announced final decisions for January 28, 2026, with PTAB appeals due February 27, 2026—use that as a realistic expectation, not a guaranteed 2026 decision date. (willcountysoa.com)

Local tips

Work the math before filing. Suppose a Joliet homeowner in tax code #3011 has an assessor market value of $360,000, so assessed value is about $120,000. If the owner has an $8,000 general homestead exemption, taxable EAV is $112,000. At the representative Joliet rate of 8.3758%, the tax is roughly $9,381.

If the homeowner proves market value should be $330,000, assessed value falls to $110,000 and taxable EAV after the same homestead exemption is $102,000. Estimated tax becomes $8,543. The annual savings is about $838: a $10,000 EAV reduction × 0.083758. Your savings may be higher or lower depending on your tax-code rate and exemptions.

Do not staple evidence. The Will County checklist asks for one copy of the complaint and supporting evidence, attached with paper clips or binder clips. Do not bring new comps to the hearing expecting them to be admitted; comparable sales offered in testimony but not submitted under the rules will not be considered. (willcountysoa.com)

There are no published county success rates or median reductions in the official sources reviewed. Will County publishes final decisions, but I did not find an official countywide success-rate or median-reduction summary. Treat anyone quoting a blanket win rate as marketing unless they show the underlying Will County BOR data.

Finally, remember the 2026 tax-payment calendar is separate from the 2026 assessment appeal. Bills for the 2025 levy were mailed May 1, 2026; installments are due June 1, 2026 and September 1, 2026. An assessment complaint does not pause payment obligations on the existing bill. (willcounty.gov)

When Are Property Taxes Due in Will?

For 2025 Will County real estate taxes payable in 2026, bills were mailed May 1, 2026; the 1st installment is due June 1, 2026 and the 2nd installment is due September 1, 2026. Two installments: 1st installment due 2026-06-01; 2nd installment due 2026-09-01. The Treasurer's tax levy calendar says USPS postmark is accepted if mailed for each installment due date.

This is not the same as the assessment appeal deadline above. The appeal deadline is your window to contest your assessed value; the payment due date is when the resulting tax bill must be paid. Missing one does not affect the other, but missing either has real consequences — one forfeits your right to appeal for the year, the other can trigger penalties and interest.

Source: https://willcounty.gov/County-Offices/Budget-Finance/Treasurer-Office/Tax-Levy-Calendar

Property Tax Exemptions in Will

• General Homestead Exemption — Residential homestead property occupied by the owner as the principal dwelling place, or qualifying leasehold single-family residences where the person has an ownership interest or is a lessee and is liable for the property taxes.. Maximum reduction of $8,000 in equalized assessed value (EAV). Administered and applied by the local Township Assessor; if not receiving it, contact the local Township Assessor. New owners may be required to apply for the following assessment year. (Source: https://www.willcountysoa.com/exemptions)
• Homestead Improvement Exemption — Homestead property with qualifying new improvements to existing structures or rebuilding of residential structures after a catastrophic event; ordinary repair work to maintain condition does not qualify.. Limited to a maximum of $75,000 per year in fair cash value and continues for four years from completion and occupancy of the improvement or rebuilding. Yes; apply with the local Township Assessor, who files qualifying paperwork with the Supervisor of Assessments. (Source: https://www.willcountysoa.com/exemptions)
• Disabled Persons Homestead Exemption — A disabled person who occupied the property on January 1 of the assessment year and is liable for the property taxes; disability documentation is required.. Annual $2,000 reduction in EAV. Yes; 2026 PTAX-343 application or renewal/documentation must be mailed or brought to the Will County Supervisor of Assessments Office. Apply by 2026-07-01. (Source: https://willcountysoa.com/Content/pdf/PTAX-343_DisabledPerson2026.pdf)
• Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption — A person age 65 or older during the assessment year who owns or has a qualifying legal/equitable interest in the property, occupies it as the principal residence, and is liable for the property taxes.. Annual $5,000 EAV reduction; $8,000 in Cook County and counties contiguous to Cook County, including Will County. Yes; first-time applicants must file PTAX-324 with required age documentation; after approval, annual status verification may be required if the CCAO requires it. Apply by 2026-07-01. (Source: https://willcountysoa.com/Content/pdf/PTAX-324_SeniorCitizen2026.pdf)
• Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption — For the 2026 assessment year payable 2027: applicants must have established age, ownership, and residency by applying for the Senior Homestead Exemption; have total household income of $75,000 or less; and own and occupy the property on or before January 1, 2025.. Freezes the home's EAV at the base-year value; the exemption amount is the difference between base-year EAV and current-year EAV. It does not freeze the tax rate. Yes; Form PTAX-340 must be filed every year with required income documentation. Apply by 2026-10-01. (Source: https://willcountysoa.com/Content/pdf/PTAX-340_2026.pdf)
• Disabled Veterans Homestead Exemption (Specially Adapted Housing) — A disabled veteran, spouse, or unmarried surviving spouse, where the veteran's disability qualifies for a Specially Adapted Housing Grant; established through the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs.. Property up to an assessed value of $100,000, owned and used exclusively as a home by the qualifying disabled veteran, spouse, or unmarried surviving spouse, is exempt. Yes; must be reestablished annually by certification from the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs. (Source: https://www.willcountysoa.com/exemptions . )

How to Look Up Your Property Record in Will

You can look up your property's official record at https://www.willcountysoa.com/PropertySearchPortal. The Will County Supervisor of Assessments Property Search Portal provides official online property assessment records compiled from local Township Assessor data and supports searches by PIN/parcel ID, property address, sale date/amount, subdivision, owner name, and property class.