Second Installment property tax bills are being issued as the number of people in Cook County paying their property taxes online climbs.

About 260,000 taxpayers paid this year’s First Installment for Tax Year 2016 using cookcountytreasurer.com, a 13.2 percent jump from last year’s Second Installment, when about 229,600 persons used the website.

“Property owners are embracing the trend toward online payments and we are moving right along with them,” Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said today, noting that payment can be made from any computer, smart phone or tablet.

The bills are being mailed to 1.75 million owners of homes, businesses and land with a due date of August 1, Pappas said.

For owners who prefer to receive bills by email, the Treasurer’s Office has introduced electronic billing. An eBilling account can be set up using an enrollment form at cookcountytreasurer.com. Property owners can also download a copy of their bill by going to the website, clicking on Make an Online Payment and entering their Property Index Number (PIN.)

Information about other ways to pay can be found on the bills and the website. Owners should pay their taxes before the due date to avoid interest of 1.5 percent per month, as mandated by state law.