Property tax exemptions & county contacts.

Start with the right office

Contact the assessor or county assessment office for exemptions, assessed values, and assessment appeals. Contact the Treasurer/Collector for tax bills, balances, payments, and payment-related refunds. Your township assessor is often the first stop for questions about how your home was valued. The county clerk can address tax-rate and levy questions.

Who can get a homestead exemption?

The General Homestead Exemption—often called the Homeowner Exemption—generally applies to a home you own and occupy as your principal residence, with responsibility for its property taxes. Certain legal or equitable interests and qualifying leaseholds may also qualify. It is for your primary home, rather than a rental property or vacation home. January 1 ownership and occupancy rules generally apply; ask the county about a recent purchase or special ownership situation.

Trust beneficiaries may need supporting trust documents. Apply through the appropriate assessment office and check that the exemption appears on your property record; do not assume the seller’s exemptions transfer to you.

An exemption reduces taxable value, not your bill dollar for dollar.

Equalized assessed value (EAV) is the value used in the tax calculation, not your home’s sale price. Actual savings depend on the applicable tax rate. For illustration, an $8,000 EAV reduction at a combined 8% rate would save approximately $640—not $8,000.

The Senior Homestead Exemption generally requires age 65 or older, qualifying ownership or interest, occupancy, and tax liability. It has no household-income test and is separate from the Senior Freeze. Ask the county whether initial filing or renewal is required.

Sources: Illinois Department of Revenue exemption overview · Lake general homestead · Lake senior homestead · Kane general homestead.

Senior Freeze: who qualifies?

The Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption helps eligible seniors keep an assessment based on a qualifying base year. It does not freeze the tax bill. Rates, improvements, and other changes may still increase taxes.

• Be 65 or older during the assessment year.
• Generally own or hold a qualifying interest in, occupy, and be responsible for taxes on the home as your principal residence on January 1 of both the assessment year and the preceding year. Ask about special circumstances or survivor rules.
• Meet the household-income limit for that tax year using the prior calendar year’s household income.
• File or renew annually using the county’s required application, generally PTAX-340 or its county equivalent.

Household income is not simply the applicant’s federal taxable income. It can include a spouse and other qualifying household members, Social Security, and other income required by the form. Use the application’s definitions and exclusions; the county can help you determine what must be reported. The scheduled limit remains $79,000 after 2028 unless the law changes.

Source: Kane County’s Senior Freeze eligibility and tax-year table. This is different from the Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program, which defers taxes under separate rules.

Veterans with disabilities: property tax relief

The Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities (SHEVD) applies to eligible veterans with a VA-certified service-connected disability and a qualifying primary residence for which they are liable for property taxes. The county reviews ownership or qualifying interest, occupancy, military-service documentation, and the VA disability letter.

The 70% benefit may eliminate regular property taxes within the covered EAV amount, but it does not promise that every charge disappears. Commercial portions, value above the covered amount, and some special service or drainage charges may remain. EAV is not the same as market value.

Submit an initial application and the required current VA documentation. Annual verification generally applies, with exceptions such as qualifying 100% permanent-and-total disability; confirm your renewal status with the county. Certain unremarried surviving spouses may qualify. Separate relief is available for qualifying specially adapted housing, and some disability exemptions cannot be combined. Ask the county or your Veterans Service Officer which benefit fits your situation.

Sources: Lake County veterans exemption and renewal guidance · Illinois property tax relief for veterans and persons with disabilities.

Before applying

• Review your tax bill and property record for existing exemptions.
• Confirm the assessment year, deadline, renewal rules, and submission method with the county; deadlines vary.
• Prepare proof of identity, residence, ownership or trust interest, and age, income, or VA disability documentation as applicable.
• If an exemption is missing, ask the assessment office about corrections for that year and any prior-year relief.
• For an assessment appeal, ask your township assessor or county Board of Review about the separate appeal deadline.

This guide provides general education and official contact links, not an exemption determination or tax advice. County offices decide eligibility and applications. Faulkner Financial Group does not file exemptions or determine your tax bill. Confirm current rules and contact details on the linked government websites.