Gary H. Smith, is a principal at KSN who is a long-time champion for the accuracy, transparency and fairness in the property tax assessment process. With over 30 years of experience, Gary has represented thousands of property owners on matters related to property tax assessments and tax appeals for all types of commercial, industrial, and residential properties. Gary has saved his clients tens of millions of dollars in tax savings through successful appeals.
A zealous advocate on behalf of property owners, Gary served on the City of Chicago’s Property Tax Advisory Council in 2008. In 2006, he was a consultant on a study for the University of Illinois, Institute of Government and Public Affairs on the economic effects of the 7 percent assessment cap in Cook County. He has helped draft numerous pieces of legislation that would benefit property tax payers. As a tireless advocate for property tax payers, Gary’s valuable input helped shape property tax policy and procedures in Cook County. He has testified before the State Legislature in real estate taxation matters and is frequently invited as a speaker to numerous professional, community and business groups on matters related to property tax appeals in Chicago and Cook County. He takes a particular interest in helping these groups revitalize their business districts and neighborhoods.
Gary is a vice president of the Illinois Property Tax Lawyers Association (IPTLA). He was the Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s State & Local Taxation Section Council for the 2015-16 fiscal year; previously he was vice chair, secretary and legislative liaison. He is currently its continuing Legal Education Coordinator.
Gary is a board member of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International, Chicago Alumni Chapter. A past chairperson of the Real Estate Taxation Committee of the Chicago Bar Association (CBA), he also served as the CBA’s legislative liaison.
Gary is the former Chairman of the Board of Directors and is the current Treasurer of the Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC) and he is a member of the board of the Jane Addams Delta Development Corporation (JADDC).
Client Testimonials
"Gary has worked with my family for years to successfully get our property taxes lowered. He has done this for not only our multi-unit commercial properties, but also for the all the residents in the condo complex where my parents live. Gary takes the time to answer all questions and explain the details of the appeals process clearly, and he also make certain that we are kept up to date on each stage of the process. I highly recommend him as he is not only a pleasure to deal with, but he has saved my family thousands of dollars!" - Sabrina Atria, Chicagoland property owner
"Gary Smith has done a tremendous job for our credit union, saving us a great deal of money in property taxes on the building we own. That’s particularly important because we’re a not-for-profit organization that represents employer groups, and anytime we can save money, it’s important to our members. A while back, we had to repossess a house we financed, and Gary was successful in convincing the Assessor’s office that the property, which was in very poor shape, deserved a more fair assessment based on its condition at the time. I, personally, switched lawyers and began using Gary on tax matters related to my home. I used to do it myself until it became too complicated and time-consuming. Gary is someone that I highly recommend, and I don’t do that lightly." - Ed Uhrik, President, New Trier Federal Credit Union
"Gary Smith has always done my Tax Appeals in Cook County. Unlike many attorneys I have worked with, his approach to me and my situation was different. It was glaringly client service oriented versus the typical profit driven approaches I have grown accustomed to. I filed an appeal representing myself for an Office Space I owned through the Cook County Assessor, and being a layman, I made several mistakes. I reached out to Gary because of a referral from a Business Partner and he immediately worked my case and submitted it for a Re-Review within 24 hours. Gary read the details of my initial Appeal and instead of simply filing for a vacancy Appeal through the Board of Review, which several other attorneys had asked me to do for a quick dollar, he insisted I appeal the market basis of the property. He also explained the reasons why I should take this approach by digging into both the math and the concepts around the Cook County Assessment and the Appeals process. Gary was never too busy to take calls and field questions I had around process. Although he has many clients, he would call when he had time so that answers can be conveyed elaborately and he was never rushing to get me off the phone. I would not use anyone else for my Cook County Tax Appeals. Gary is both a gentleman and a consummate professional." - Jean Pathil, Commercial property owner
