The Illinois Department of Revenue has issued a tentative property assessment equalization factor of 1.0000 for Henderson County, director David Harris announced on April 9.
The equalization factor, also called the “multiplier,” is used to ensure uniform property assessments among counties as required by law. This process is important because many local taxing districts in Illinois overlap into multiple counties, such as school and fire protection districts. Without this equalization, taxpayers with similar properties could face unequal tax burdens.
According to Harris, state law requires most property in Illinois to be assessed at one-third of its market value. The exception is farm property: while homesites and dwellings are assessed using standard procedures, farmland and farm buildings are evaluated based on productivity standards. The department determines the annual equalization factor for each county by comparing sales prices from the past three years with the values assigned by county assessors.
Harris said that if a county’s three-year average assessment level matches one-third of market value, the multiplier will be set at 1.0000. If it exceeds or falls below that benchmark, the multiplier will adjust accordingly above or below one. For Henderson County, assessments are currently at 33.24% of market value based on sales from 2022 through 2024.
The new multiplier applies to taxes payable in 2026 and matches last year’s figure for Henderson County. The department noted that this tentative figure could change if significant actions are taken by the County Board of Review or if new data emerges challenging IDOR’s estimates; a public hearing will be held within a month after publication in a local newspaper.
A change in the multiplier does not directly alter total tax bills; these amounts depend on how much money local taxing bodies request each year to provide services to residents. An individual’s share of taxes depends on their property’s assessed value relative to others’.
The Illinois Department of Revenue works to foster an inclusive environment valuing diversity and equity for employees and customers according to 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 serves as a state agency dedicated to promoting diversity and equity in operations as stated online, oversees collection of state taxes and delivers reliable financial information according to its website, and operates within state taxation management as detailed online.
