Lake County Gazette

State Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) points to the timing of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's rebate checks as evidence that they are politically motivated.

"Most Illinois taxpayers will soon receive checks in the mail or direct-deposited from the State of Illinois as part of the 'Illinois Family Relief Plan' approved by the General Assembly during the abbreviated spring session," Wilcox said in a press release. "Governor Pritzker, who claims the rebate checks are not politically motivated, announced this week that money will arrive in the mail or in accounts over the next eight weeks. With rebates starting on Monday, September 12, delivery is scheduled to be complete by Monday, November 7, the day before the 2023 General Election. This is no coincidence.”

As part of this fiscal year's $46.5 billion budget, some Illinoisans will receive rebate checks in the mail this fall, ABC 8 reported. The Illinois Family Relief Plan, which was included in the budget, allocates $1.8 billion for tax rebates. Illinoisans who were residents of the state in 2021 and have an income of less than $200,000, or $400,000 for joint filers, are eligible to receive a $50 income tax rebate, or $100 for a married couple, plus an additional $100 per dependent. Illinois property owners with an income of less than $250,000, or $500,000 for joint filers, are eligible for a property tax rebate of 5% of what they paid in property taxes, up to $300 per household.

"This $1.8 billion in tax relief is possible because Democrats balanced the budget, eliminated the bill backlog, funded schools, fixed roads - and through responsible financial decision-making - still found ourselves with a one-time surplus," Pritzker said in a statement. "There are those who might have sent those funds straight back into the pockets of the 1 percent and big corporations instead of to working families, but that's not what good government does."

During his term as governor, Pritzker has imposed 24 tax and fee increases, costing the average Illinois family an extra $2,721, while the temporary tax relief included in the FY 2023 budget will save the average family $556, Illinois Policy reported.

Illinois' property tax rate is the second highest in the nation at 2.27%, behind only New Jersey, according to a June report by Rocket Mortgage. The owner of a $194,500 home in Illinois pays $4,942 annually in property taxes. Thirty states have property tax rates lower than 1%.

A March report by WalletHub found that Illinois has the tenth overall highest tax burden in the nation at 9.7%. The report weighed property taxes, income taxes, and sales and excise taxes.

Pritzker will face Republican nominee Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) in the Nov. 8 election.