Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi is making property tax-saving exemptions applications for the 2024 tax year available online.
Exemptions are savings that contribute to lowering a homeowner’s property tax bill. The most common is the Homeowner Exemption, which saves a property owner an average of $950 dollars each year.
The Homeowner, Senior, and Persons with Disabilities Exemptions are automatically renewed. Postcards will be mailed to households confirming that no action is needed.
Homeowners must reapply for the Veterans with Disabilities and the “Senior Freeze” Exemptions. Seniors and veterans that need to reapply will be mailed application booklets in the coming weeks.
“Every homeowner should take full advantage of the exemptions they are entitled to. When I am in the community talking to residents about their property taxes, the first thing I tell them is to check for missing exemptions,” Kaegi said.
“If you own and live in your home you are most likely eligible for the Homeowner Exemption, regardless of citizenship status. If you live in your home and don’t claim this and other exemptions, you’re missing out on hundreds of dollars in property tax savings.”
New homeowners, first-time applicants, or those that need to reapply can now do so online at www.cookcountyassessor.com/exemptions. Homeowners are strongly encouraged to apply online so there is a digital record of their application. This allows Assessor staff to easily locate the application, provide a status update, and notify the homeowner if missing documents are needed.
This year, homeowners reapplying online will have access to a streamlined application form, reducing the time it takes to apply.
If homeowners are unsure of their existing exemptions, they can review the “Exemptions History & Status” section of the “Property Details” page for their home.
Exemptions forms are available in Spanish, Polish, and simplified Chinese languages.
Applications can be downloaded at www.cookcountyassessor.com/exemptions.
As a reminder, exemptions are only reflected on the second installment tax bill.
Homeowners can join virtual exemptions workshops on Facebook and YouTube at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, in English and on Wednesday, March 19, in Spanish. For a list of upcoming in-person and virtual outreach events, visit www.cookcountyassessor.com/event-list.
