# How Do I Get a Calculation for Forfeited or Open Taxes in Cook County? Canonical page: https://sellmyhousetosam.com/forfeited-open-property-taxes-cook-county Publisher: Sell My House To Sam Published: 2026-10-10 Last content update: 2026-10-10 > Ask the Cook County Clerk for an Estimate of the Cost of Redemption for Forfeited Taxes or an Open Item Bill, depending on the parcel's tax status. Request it in person at the downtown office or by a written mailed request. Include the PIN, relevant tax years, required fee, and contact details; the official order form can be used. General educational information, not legal, tax, credit, or financial advice. Property-specific decisions require current source information and qualified professional advice. ## Key takeaways - Forfeited taxes were offered at an annual tax sale but not sold; open taxes are a different prior-year delinquency category. - Order the calculation that matches the tax status rather than assuming every unpaid balance is a sold-tax redemption. - The Clerk accepts an in-person request or a written request that the document be mailed to you. - The published calculation fee is $10 per PIN for one delinquent year and $3 for each additional year. - Requesting or paying for a calculation is not the same as paying the tax balance. ## What are forfeited taxes and open taxes? The Clerk's brochure defines a forfeited tax as a tax offered at an annual tax sale that was not sold. It explains that interested investors may later purchase these taxes over the counter. A forfeiture is therefore not a reason to ignore the balance. Open taxes are delinquent or unpaid taxes from a prior year that were neither sold nor forfeited at an annual sale. The brochure says these are usually taxes withheld from the sale because of a pending action, such as a Certificate of Error. That explanation does not mean every open item is an exemption or error; ask the Clerk about the specific parcel. Sold, forfeited, and open taxes call for different records. If you are not sure which status applies to a particular year, ask the Clerk to identify it before ordering a bill or choosing a payment procedure. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: tax redemption e-brochure](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/tax-redemption-ebrochure); [Cook County Clerk: Forfeited or Open Taxes](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/forfeited-or-open-taxes) ## Choose the calculation that matches your record For forfeited taxes, request an Estimate of the Cost of Redemption for Forfeited Taxes. For open taxes, request an Open Item Bill. The Clerk's Forfeited or Open Taxes page says property owners may request a calculation of the amount needed to satisfy these taxes. You can use the official Cost of Redemption or Other Delinquent Tax Bills Order Form or send a letter requesting the appropriate document. The form lists separate choices for redemption estimates, forfeited-tax bills, and open-item bills. Match the selection to what the Clerk confirms is on the parcel's record. If a property's taxes have already been sold to a buyer, see [what to do after taxes have been sold](/what-to-do-if-property-taxes-sold-cook-county) and the [sold-tax redemption estimate guide](/order-estimate-cost-redemption-cook-county). Do not treat all prior-year balances as interchangeable. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: Forfeited or Open Taxes](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/forfeited-or-open-taxes); [Official order form: redemption estimates and delinquent tax bills](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/order-form-estimate-cost-redemption-or-other-delinquent-tax-bills); [Cook County Clerk: Estimate of Redemption](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/estimate-redemption) ## Submit the PIN, tax years, fee, and contact details The Clerk allows you to request the calculation in person at the downtown office or submit a written request that one be mailed to you. Include the Property Index Number and required fee. The official form provides fields for the requested tax years and your name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address. For a mailed request, the Forfeited or Open Taxes page specifically asks for a daytime telephone number in case more information is needed. A complete mailing address is needed for the requested document to be sent to you. The published fee is $10 for one year of delinquency for each PIN and $3 for each additional year. If you are uncertain about the amount, document, or years, the page says to call (312) 603-5645. Check the current official form before sending the request. Cook County Clerk's Office, Real Estate & Tax Services Division, 118 N. Clark Street, Room 434, Chicago, IL 60602. Published office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; check the official site for closures before visiting. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: Forfeited or Open Taxes](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/forfeited-or-open-taxes); [Official order form: redemption estimates and delinquent tax bills](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/order-form-estimate-cost-redemption-or-other-delinquent-tax-bills); [Cook County Clerk: finding and verifying your Property Index Number](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/about-property-index-number-pin) ## Review the bill before paying the taxes Compare the PIN and requested tax years with your records when the calculation arrives. Confirm with the Clerk what the bill covers and what further steps are needed to pay that particular balance. Do not mistake a document-order fee for the taxes due. The Forfeited or Open Taxes page describes ordering calculations, not a universal payment procedure for every open or forfeited balance. Ask the Clerk where to send the actual tax payment and what payment type and documents apply to your record. If you need evidence of an earlier payment rather than a balance calculation, request the appropriate certificate. See [how to order proof of tax payment](/order-proof-property-tax-payment-cook-county); a certificate of prior payment is not a substitute for an unpaid-tax calculation. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: Forfeited or Open Taxes](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/forfeited-or-open-taxes); [Cook County Clerk: Certificate of Payment](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/certificate-payment); [Cook County Clerk: Estimate of Redemption](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/estimate-redemption) ## Get help with unclear tax records For tax redemption questions, call the Clerk at (312) 603-5645 or email tax.redemption@cookcountyil.gov. This website is an independent educational resource, not the Cook County Clerk. Our property-sale contact form does not order county documents, submit a redemption payment, or provide legal advice. Keep copies of your request, existing bills, notices, and payment records. If a tax sale, legal notice, ownership dispute, or approaching deadline is involved, get advice from a qualified Illinois attorney. The Clerk's brochure says its office and the Treasurer cannot provide legal advice. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: Forfeited or Open Taxes](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/forfeited-or-open-taxes); [Cook County Clerk: tax redemption e-brochure](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/tax-redemption-ebrochure) ## Frequently asked questions ### What is a forfeited property tax in Cook County? The Clerk's brochure defines forfeited taxes as taxes offered at an annual tax sale but not sold. It says investors may purchase them over the counter later. To obtain a calculation, request an Estimate of the Cost of Redemption for Forfeited Taxes. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: tax redemption e-brochure](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/tax-redemption-ebrochure); [Cook County Clerk: Forfeited or Open Taxes](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/forfeited-or-open-taxes) ### What is an Open Item Bill? It is the document the Clerk identifies for a calculation of open taxes. The brochure describes open taxes as prior-year unpaid taxes that were neither sold nor forfeited at an annual sale. Ask the Clerk which years and items the bill needs to cover. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: Forfeited or Open Taxes](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/forfeited-or-open-taxes); [Cook County Clerk: tax redemption e-brochure](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/tax-redemption-ebrochure) ### Can I request the calculation by mail? Yes. The Clerk says you may submit the official order form or send a written letter asking for the appropriate estimate or Open Item Bill. Include the PIN, required fee, and a daytime telephone number, along with the mailing information needed to receive the document. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: Forfeited or Open Taxes](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/forfeited-or-open-taxes); [Official order form: redemption estimates and delinquent tax bills](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/order-form-estimate-cost-redemption-or-other-delinquent-tax-bills) ### What fee should I include? The published schedule is $10 per PIN for one year of delinquency and $3 for each additional year. Call (312) 603-5645 if the fee or requested years are unclear. This calculation fee does not pay the underlying tax balance. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: Forfeited or Open Taxes](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/forfeited-or-open-taxes); [Official order form: redemption estimates and delinquent tax bills](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/order-form-estimate-cost-redemption-or-other-delinquent-tax-bills) ### Are open taxes necessarily the result of a Certificate of Error? No. The brochure says open taxes are usually withheld from sale due to a pending action, such as a Certificate of Error, but that is not a finding about every parcel. Ask the Clerk and, for exemption or Certificate of Error questions, the Assessor about your actual record. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: tax redemption e-brochure](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/tax-redemption-ebrochure); [Cook County Clerk: Estimate of Redemption](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/estimate-redemption) ### Can I use a proof-of-payment certificate to learn what is still unpaid? A Certificate of Payment documents prior tax payments. It is not an Estimate of the Cost of Redemption. For an unpaid forfeited or open balance, request the appropriate current calculation or bill from the Clerk. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: Estimate of Redemption](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/estimate-redemption); [Cook County Clerk: Certificate of Payment](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/certificate-payment); [Cook County Clerk: Forfeited or Open Taxes](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/forfeited-or-open-taxes) ## Sources - [Cook County Clerk: Forfeited or Open Taxes](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/forfeited-or-open-taxes) - [Official order form: redemption estimates and delinquent tax bills](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/order-form-estimate-cost-redemption-or-other-delinquent-tax-bills) - [Cook County Clerk: tax redemption e-brochure](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/tax-redemption-ebrochure) - [Cook County Clerk: Estimate of Redemption](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/estimate-redemption) - [Cook County Clerk: Certificate of Payment](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/certificate-payment) - [Cook County Clerk: finding and verifying your Property Index Number](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/about-property-index-number-pin)