The 2021 tax year exemption applications will be available in late February.
A Senior Freeze Exemption provides property tax savings by freezing the equalized assessed value (EAV) of an eligible property. Most homeowners are eligible for this exemption if they meet the requirements for the Senior Exemption and have a total household annual income of $65,000 or less in the 2020 calendar year. Those who qualify and receive this exemption should be aware that this does not automatically freeze the amount of their tax bill, only the EAV remains at the fixed amount. Tax rates may change and thus alter a tax bill. This exemption usually requires annual renewal but will be auto-renewed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Automatic Renewal: Yes, this exemption will automatically renew for the 2021 tax year due to COVID-19.
How can a homeowner see which exemptions were applied to their home last year?
Check the Cook County Portal website, then review the Exemption History and Status section.
📌 Reminder: Exemptions appear on your second installment tax bill issued in the summer. To learn more about how the property tax system works, click here.
Eligibility
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- Must be born in 1955 or prior.
- Have a total gross household income of no more than $65,000 for 2019.
- Either own the property, or have a legal, equitable or leasehold interest in the property on January 1, 2019 and January 1, 2020.
- Be liable for the payment of 2019 and 2020 property taxes.
- Occupy the property as a principal place of residence on January 1, 2019 and January 1, 2020.
Please Note: The Senior Freeze Exemption freezes the Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) of a home. A property’s total tax bill depends on the EAV and the tax rate. Because the tax rate is calculated each year and can change each year, so can the property tax bill. It is important to note that the exemption amount is not the dollar amount by which a tax bill is lowered. EAV is the partial value of a property to which tax rates are applied; it is this figure on which a tax bill is calculated. The Assessor does not set tax rates.