Vermilion County Property Tax: Rates, Exemptions, and Due Dates

Vermilion County property tax is calculated by assessing your real estate at one-third of its fair market value, applying the state equalization factor and local district tax rates, and billing the result in two installments. For the 2026 tax year, the first installment is due Thursday, June 18, 2026, and the second is due Friday, September 4, 2026. Any balance left after either date collects interest at 1.5% per month, and the Treasurer has no authority to waive it.¹

How Your Bill Is Calculated

The Vermilion County Supervisor of Assessments sets a fair market value for every property, then multiplies it by the statutory ratio of 33⅓% to get the assessed value.² A home with a market value of $150,000 has an assessed value of $50,000.

The state then applies an equalization factor, or multiplier, that adjusts for differences between local assessments and actual market values across Illinois. The result is your Equalized Assessed Value (EAV). Subtract any exemptions you qualify for, apply the composite tax rate for the districts that overlap your property, and you have your bill.

That composite rate is the sum of rates from each taxing body serving the parcel: school districts, the community college, township government, fire protection districts, the library district, and others. Each body sets an annual levy, the county clerk divides it by the total EAV in that district, and the resulting rates stack. When levies grow or total property values fall, rates climb.

2026 Due Dates and Late Penalties

Vermilion County bills in two installments:³

First installment: Thursday, June 18, 2026
Second installment: Friday, September 4, 2026

Interest of 1.5% per month, or any fraction of a month, applies to unpaid balances after each deadline. Being a few days late costs the full month’s penalty. Not receiving a bill does not excuse late payment.⁴ If you can’t find yours, the county document portal lets you view and print a copy using the registration code from a prior statement.³

How to Pay

You have several options, and the cost of paying varies.

Mail. Send a check or money order payable to the Vermilion County Treasurer, with the installment stub, to PO Box 730, Danville, IL 61834. The envelope must be postmarked by the due date.⁴

Online. The county portal accepts credit cards, debit cards, and e-checks through a third-party processor. Credit and debit cards carry a $1.50 flat fee plus 2.35% of the total. E-checks cost a flat $2.00. On a $2,000 installment, that’s roughly $48.50 by card versus $2.00 by e-check.⁴

Phone. Call (877) 221-8591. The same processing fees as the online portal apply.

In person or at a participating bank. The Treasurer’s office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding legal holidays. Participating Vermilion County banks accept payment on or before the due date, and you must bring your bill with you.⁴

Mortgage escrow. If your lender pays taxes from an escrow account, you remain legally responsible for timely payment. Confirm the lender has the right parcel number, and verify after each due date that the payment actually posted. If a lender misses the deadline or pays against the wrong parcel, state and federal law require it to cover the penalty and reimburse your escrow account.

Exemptions That Lower Your Bill

Exemptions reduce EAV before the tax rate applies, so the savings are direct. You apply through the Supervisor of Assessments office in the Joseph G. Cannon Building. If a bill does not reflect an exemption you believe you qualify for, call (217) 554-1940.⁵

General Homestead Exemption

Owner-occupants of a primary residence get an EAV reduction of up to $6,000.⁵ At a composite rate near 8%, that’s about $480 off the annual bill. Once you’re on file, it carries forward each year.

Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption

Homeowners aged 65 or older get an additional $5,000 EAV reduction on their primary residence.⁶ It stacks with the General Homestead Exemption for a combined $11,000 reduction.

Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze

This freezes EAV at a base-year value, protecting against future increases. You must be 65 or older, own and occupy the home, and have a total household income of $75,000 or less for the 2026 tax year.⁷ The threshold rose from $65,000 in 2025, so more seniors now qualify. You must renew annually with income documentation; skipping a year means losing the frozen base.

Disabled Veterans Homestead Exemption

Veterans with a VA-certified service-connected disability get EAV reductions scaled to the rating:⁸

30% to 49% disability: $2,500 EAV reduction
50% to 69% disability: $5,000 EAV reduction
70% or higher: the first $250,000 of EAV is fully exempt, which eliminates the tax bill for most Vermilion County homes

Surviving spouses of veterans whose death was service-connected also qualify for the full $250,000 exemption if they receive VA dependency and indemnity compensation. File annually.

Persons with Disabilities Homestead Exemption

Homeowners with a disability who don’t qualify under the veterans program can claim a $2,000 EAV reduction. You must occupy the property as your primary residence as of January 1 of the assessment year and be liable for the taxes.⁵

Appealing Your Assessment

If the assessed value looks too high, file a complaint with the Vermilion County Board of Review. The Board can adjust individual assessments but cannot change tax rates.⁹

Complaints are due within 30 calendar days after the publication of assessment changes made by the Township Assessor and Supervisor of Assessments. You must have been the owner of record as of January 1 of the assessment year. File in duplicate on the Board’s approved forms, in person, by mail, or by email to brdreview@vercounty.org.

Attach every piece of evidence with the filing. Useful documentation includes recent comparable sales, closing statements, photographs showing property condition, construction cost records, and property record cards from comparable parcels. A professional appraisal must be prepared by an Illinois-licensed appraiser, comply with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, and name the Board of Review and Vermilion County as intended users.

After reviewing your evidence, the Board mails a Notice of Proposed Decision. If you disagree, you have 10 days from the date on the notice to request a hearing in writing. If you’re still dissatisfied after the Board’s final decision, you can appeal to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board within 30 days.

If You Fall Behind: Tax Sale and Redemption

Unpaid taxes are eventually sold at the county’s annual tax sale, held at the Joseph G. Cannon Building.¹⁰ A tax sale does not transfer ownership. A buyer purchases the right to collect the delinquent taxes plus a penalty, bid down from a maximum of 9% per six-month period. If you don’t redeem the debt within the statutory window, the buyer can petition for a tax deed and take title.

Redemption periods depend on property type:¹¹

Residential property with fewer than 7 units: 2½ years from the date of sale
Vacant non-farm land, commercial, and industrial property: 1 year from the date of sale

The redemption cost roughly doubles every six months. During the first six months you owe the sale amount plus the penalty bid once; between six and twelve months the penalty doubles; it triples at eighteen months and quadruples beyond. After two years, additional interest of 5% per year accrues on top. The cheapest time to resolve delinquent Vermilion County taxes is always the earliest one.

1
Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200 – Property Tax Code – Delinquencies and Penalties
2
Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200 – Property Tax Code – Division 4 Valuation Procedures
3
Vermilion County. Treasurer
4
Vermilion County. Payment Instructions
5
Vermilion County. Exemption Information
6
Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200/15-170 – Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption
7
Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200/15-172 – Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption
8
Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200/15-169 – Disabled Veterans Standard Homestead Exemption
9
Vermilion County. Board of Review Rules and Regulations
10
Vermilion County. Tax Sale Information
11
Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200 – Property Tax Code – Tax Sales and Redemption