The Illinois Department of Revenue announced on Apr. 27 that Washington County has received a final property assessment equalization factor, or multiplier, of 1.0000 for the year 2025, according to David Harris, director of the department.
The equalization factor is used to ensure uniform property assessments across counties in Illinois. This process is important because many local taxing districts overlap county lines, and without equalization there could be significant differences in tax burdens among taxpayers with similar properties.
Under state law passed in 1975, most properties are required to be assessed at one-third of their market value. Farm homesites and dwellings follow these regular procedures, while farmland itself is assessed based on its agricultural economic value and does not use the state equalization factor. In Washington County, assessments are currently at 33.75% of market value based on sales from the past three years.
Harris said that last year’s multiplier for Washington County was 0.9666 and that this year’s figure follows a public hearing held after issuing a tentative factor earlier this month. The department determines the annual multiplier by comparing sale prices over three years with assessed values set by county officials.
A change in the equalization factor does not automatically mean property tax bills will go up or down; those amounts depend on how much money local taxing bodies request each year for services. An individual’s share of taxes is determined by their property’s assessed value and remains unaffected by changes to the multiplier.
The Illinois Department of Revenue works to foster an inclusive environment valuing diversity and equity for employees and customers, as stated on its official site. The agency focuses on fairly administering state tax laws and efficiently collecting revenues while providing accurate information according to its official website. It also serves as a state agency dedicated to promoting diversity and equity in its operations according to its official site. The department oversees collection of state taxes and delivers reliable financial information according to its official website, operating within state taxation and revenue management as detailed online according to its official website.
