Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi announced exemptions that contribute to lowering a homeowner’s property tax bill.  Many exemptions automatically renew this year due to COVID-19. Homeowners can check the Cook County Portal website, then review the Exemption History and Status section to determine which exemptions they received last year and whether they will auto-renew this year. New homeowners and those that need to reapply can do so by completing the online application. The following exemptions will automatically renew for homeowners who received them last year (tax year 2020) and remained eligible this year (tax year 2021):

• Homeowner Exemption (annual auto-renewal)

• Senior Exemption (annual auto-renewal)

• Senior Freeze Exemption (2021 auto-renewal)

• Persons with Disabilities Exemption (2021 auto-renewal)

• Veterans with Disabilities Exemption (2021 auto-renewal)

Every year the Assessor’s Office sends mail to households regarding property tax exemptions. Most recently, booklets were sent to 100,000 households that need to either reapply for exemptions or may be eligible to receive savings. The most common is the Homeowner Exemption, which saves Cook County property owners an average of $973 each year. View a simple reference guide to understand the mail from our office: www.cookcountyassessor.com