RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS
The Homeowner exemption is available to:
- Owners of single family homes, condominiums, cooperatives and apartment buildings of six units or less.
- The property must have been occupied by its current or previous owner as his or her principle residence on January 1st of the year for which the exemption is granted.
- Owner must be responsible for payment of the property taxes.
- This exemption reduces the home’s Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) by $10,000. Effective for the 2017 tax year, the Homeowners Exemption increased from $7,000 in EAV to $10,000 in EAV.
Proof of Property Ownership/Liability
If you are listed on the deed recorded at the Cook County Recorder of Deeds, this verifies the ownership and property tax liability. If you are not listed on the recorded deed, one of the following documents will be needed:
- Deed (if not recorded) or contract for a deed
- Lease
- Trust
- Stock certificate
- Occupancy agreement
Senior Exemption
To be eligible for the Senior Exemption, which will reduce your equalized assessed value by $8,000, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- You must be 65 years old or older during the year for which you are applying for the exemption.
- You must either own the property or have a lease or contract making you responsible for the property taxes.
- The property must be your principle residence. If you have moved or plan to move in the future, you may be entitled to a prorated Senior Exemption, based on the time of occupancy.
- This exemption reduces the home’s Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) by $8,000. Effective for the 2017 tax year, the Senior Exemption increased from $5,000 in EAV to $8,000 in EAV.
- Effective 2019, a new law allows for automatic renewal each year following, meaning that a senior need only apply once.
Proof of Property Ownership/Liability
If you are listed on the deed recorded at the Cook County Recorder of Deeds, this verifies the ownership and property tax liability. If you are not listed on the recorded deed, one of the following documents will be needed:
- Deed (if not recorded) or contract for a deed
- Lease
- Trust
- Stock certificate
- Occupancy agreement
Low-Income Senior Citizen Assessment Freeze Exemption
This exemption freezes the Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) of your home for the current year, reducing the rate of growth of your property taxes.
Applicants must meet the following requirements to be eligible for this exemption:
- The property must be your principle place of residence on January 1st of the year prior to the application year.
- You must own the property, or have a legal, equitable or leasehold interest in the property and be liable for the payment of the taxes effective January 1st of the two preceding years from the application.
- You must be 65 years old or older during that year.
- Your total household income cannot have exceeded $65,000 in the year prior to the year for which you wish the assessment freeze. Effective for the 2017 tax year, the eligibility expanded by increasing allowable total household income to $65,000, from the previous limit of $55,000. Household income includes ALL family members that live in the home.
- Effective 2017, there is a new minimum $2,000 EAV deduction for the Senior Freeze, which will help offset increases in assessed value and help ensure that more seniors benefit from the Senior Freeze Exemption.
Applications for the Senior Freeze Exemption are available at our office or at the Cook County Assessor’s office. The application and proof of income must be submitted yearly to continue receiving the exemption.
Returning Veterans Exemption
Veterans returning from active duty in armed conflict are eligible to receive a $5,000 reduction in the Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) of their property only for the taxable year in which they return.
To qualify the veteran must:
- Be an Illinois resident who has served as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, Illinois National Guard or U.S. Reserved Forces.
- Be returning from active duty in an armed conflict involving the armed forces of the US.
- Have owned or had a legal or equitable interest in the property and used it as a principle place of residence on January 1st of the tax year in question, and
- Be liable for the payment of property taxes.
- Provide the Department of Defense DD Form 214 certified by the County Recorder or Recorder of Deeds or the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.
- If still on active duty after returning home, military orders and travel voucher showing the date of return will be required. The documents must state that they are returning from armed conflict involving the armed forces of the U.S. within the tax year of application.
Veterans with a service-connected disability as certified by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are eligible for this annual exemption. A disability of at least 30%-49% is eligible for a $2,500 exemption in Equalized Assessed Value (EAV). A disability of 50%-69% is eligible for a $5,000 EAV. New for the 2015 property tax year, a disability of 70% or higher will be exempt from property taxation.
To qualify the veteran must:
- Be an Illinois resident who has served as a member of the U.S, Armed Forces on active duty or on active duty in the state of Illinois, Illinois National Guard, or U.S. Reserve Forces and has been honorably discharged.
- Have at least a 30% service-connected disability certified by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Own and occupy the property as the primary residence any time during the property tax year. Note: this change was effective tax year 2018.
- Have a total EAV of less than $250,000 for the primary residence, excluding the EAV of property used for commercial purposes.
- A first-time applicant must have a copy of their DD Form 214, certified by either the Cook County Recorder of Deeds or Illinois Department of Affairs. A copy of State ID or Drivers License with the correct address. Proof of ownership.
- All applicants, including renewal, must provide a Disability Certification Letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This letter must be issued during the current application year or later, and will be used to verify the veteran’s name and percentage of service-connected disability.
Surviving Spouse of a Disabled Veteran
A non-remarried surviving spouse of a disabled veteran can continue to receive the Veterans with Disabilities Standard Homeowner Exemption on the spouse’s homestead property or transfer this exemption to a new primary residence.
To qualify, the spouse must meet the following:
- Occupy the property as the primary residence and hold legal or beneficial title to the property on January 1st of the assessment year.
- If transferring exemption to a new primary residence, he or she must sell the disabled veteran’s previous property before transferring the exemption to his or her new primary residence.
This exemption provides disabled persons with an annual $2,000 reduction in the equalized assessed value (EAV) of the property.
To qualify the applicant must:
- Be disabled or become disabled during the tax year.
- Own or have a legal or equitable interest in the property, or a leasehold interest of a single-family residence.
- Occupy the property as the principle residence on January 1st of the tax year in question.
- Be liable for the payment of property taxes.
Applicants must provide one of the following documents:
- Class 2 Disabled Person Illinois Identification Card from the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office
- Proof of Social Security Administration disability benefits. This proof includes an Award letter, verification letter, or annual cost of living adjustment.
- Proof of Railroad or Civil Service disability benefits is an award letter of total (100%) disability.
- Illinois Department of Revenue’s Form PTAX 343-A Physician’s Statement of Proof of a Disability.
Exemption Applications
The applications for 2022 must be entered electronically on the Cook County Assessor’s website. However, Maine Township is able to help you complete the applications in our office. Please contact us at 847-297-2510 for further assistance.