By: Joseph Berrios,
Cook County Assessor

My office administers property tax exemptions and, given the current economic climate, we want to ensure you are receiving all the money-saving exemptions to which you are entitled. The First-Installment of your total annual property tax bill each year is, by law, 55 percent of the total taxes paid the previous year. Savings from property tax exemptions are deducted from your current total and shown on your Second-Installment bill. The application process for exemptions that will appear on your 2016 Second-Installment bill will begin in February.

If you receive the Homeowner Exemption, you will have it every year if your residency and ownership do not change. All other exemptions must be applied for annually. If you received one of those other exemptions for the prior year, a renewal application will automatically be mailed to you. By law, a person can claim exemptions on only the home that is his or her primary residence anywhere in the United States.

To receive the Homeowner Exemption, your property must have been occupied January 1, 2015, used as your principal residence and you must be responsible for payment of the property taxes.

If you meet all the qualifications for the Homeowner Exemption and you were born prior to or in the year 1950, your property would qualify to receive additional savings with the Senior Citizen Exemption.

If your property qualifies for the Senior Citizen Exemption and your household income totals $55,000 a year or less, you might also be eligible for the Senior Citizen Assessment Freeze Exemption (“Senior Freeze”). Information on these and others such as the Disabled Persons Exemption and Veterans Exemptions is on our web site at www.cookcountyassessor.com or from our office at 312-443-7550. Our door is always open and we are happy to provide any assistance so no one pays more than his or her fair share of property taxes.