At the time of writing this article, we anticipate the 2023 First Installment Property Tax Bill will be due March 1, 2024. This is an estimated bill based on 55% of the prior year’s (2022) total taxes. No exemptions appear on this First Installment Bill. Exemption deductions only appear on the Second Installment Bill.
As soon as the 2023 Property Tax Exemption Applications are made available by the Cook County Assessor’s Office, we will be happy to assist you by completing and submitting the appropriate application and documentation to the county assessor.
The list of exemptions available to Cook County residents is as follows:
• Homeowner Exemption
• Senior Exemption
• Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Exemption (Senior Freeze)
• Persons with Disabilities Exemption
• Veterans with Disabilities Exemption
• Returning Veterans Exemption
• Long Time Homeowner Exemption
• Home Improvement Exemption
In order to receive any of these exemptions, the residence must be owner occupied. Detailed information on each of these exemptions can be found on the Cook County Assessor’s website, www.cookcountyassessor.com.
For those taxpayers born in 1958, you will be able to apply for the Senior Exemption for the first time. Proof of age and residency is required. In addition, you may also be eligible for the “Senior Freeze” exemption. For the “Senior Freeze” you must have been born in 1958 or prior, have lived in your home two full years beginning January 1, and have a total gross household income that does not exceed $65,000. Please remember to include your gross Social Security earnings, not just any taxable portion of your Social Security earnings.
For specific information on your exemptions, you can call me or one of my staff, Judy Vonderheide or Nancy Devlin at 708-403-4712. My staff will check your exemption history to ensure that you are receiving all the exemptions that you are entitled to. If they find that any exemptions are missing, they will advise you what type of documentation is needed to complete a current exemption application, as well as Certificates of Error for up to 4 prior years that will enable you to receive refunds.