Information provided by the Cook County Assessor’s Office
COOK COUNTY, Ill. (March 20, 2024) — Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi announced that property tax savings applications for the 2023 tax year are now 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.
Here are some key things that homeowners should know when applying for exemptions.
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 Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze (the “Senior Freeze”) Exemptions. Seniors and veterans that need to reapply will be mailed application booklets.
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.
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 Wednesday, March 13, in English and on Thursday, March 14, in Spanish. For a list of upcoming in-person and virtual outreach events, visit www.cookcountyassessor.com/event-list.
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The incompetency of the Cook County Assessor’s Office continues. It would be wise for them to place a due date on their website and on the applications so people can submit them in a timely manner.
Omitting a due date sounds more intentional than not. They collect more money to be wasted, and the taxpayer saves less. So much for “transparency.”