Longtime Homeowner Exemption

Base Year: "Base year" means the taxable year before the taxable year in which the taxpayer first qualifies for the exemption under this Section. For example, if a property owner first qualified in tax year 2014, the base year would be 2013. 

Current taxable year: "Current taxable year" means the taxable year for which the exemption under this Section is being applied. Cook County is currently in tax year 2023. 

Equalized Assessed Value:  "Equalized assessed value" is your assessed value multiplied by the state equalizer. 

Very few homeowners qualify for this exemption because the state property tax code is complicated and has strict eligibility requirements. To understand how the exemption works, look under the eligibility tab.

The Cook County Assessor's Office determines which properties qualify based on assessment increases. These properties will be mailed an application in April 2024. 

If you received an application form from our office, please mail the application form to our office as soon as possible so that our staff have time to process it. 

1. Copy of a recent property tax bill
2. Identification 

• A copy of one photo ID from List A must be provided. The name and property address must match the application and the date of issue must verify that you occupied this property in the calendar year 2023.

  List A: Photo IDs that verify identity and occupancy • Illinois Drivers License / ID Card • Matrícula Consular ID • City of Chicago ID Card

• If the address on your photo ID does not match the property address, a copy of one document from List B and one from List C, and an Occupancy Affidavit must be provided. 
   

• List B: Photo IDs that verify identity and date of birth • Illinois Drivers License / ID Card • Matrícula Consular ID • City of Chicago ID Card • Passport • Certificate of Naturalization (N-550/N-570) • Permanent Resident Card (I-551) • Refugee Travel Document (I-571) • Employment Authorization Card (I-766)

  List C: Documents that verify 2023 occupancy • Bank statement • Landline, cable, or internet bill • Pay stub or Social Security Award letter • Voting record from 2023 (from Cook County Clerk’s office or Chicago Board of Elections)

Please note: a notarized application is no longer required
 

How soon does the application have to be returned?
If you received an application from our office, please mail the application to our office as soon as possible so that our staff has time to process it.  If eligible, the savings will appear on the second installment property tax bill that will be sent later this year. Note that, per Illinois state law, a taxpayer signing a fraudulent application for this exemption is perjury, and that any taxpayer who receives the exemption is subject to audit.

Does the notarization requirement still apply?
No, a notarized application is no longer required.  

I believe that I qualify for this exemption, but did not receive an application in the mail. 
If you would like to verify if an application should have been mailed to you, please call the Cook County Assessor's Office at 312-443-7550 and we will double-check your qualifications. Very few homeowners qualify for this exemption because the state property tax code is complicated and has strict eligibility requirements. Approximately 11,000 properties in Cook County qualify for this exemption, fewer than 2% of homeowners. 

Do the minimum assessment increases have to occur for ten consecutive years? 
No, assessment increases do not have to occur for ten consecutive years. 

I've lived in my home for over ten years and received large assessment increases over the last few years. Why don't I qualify for this exemption? 
Very few homeowners qualify for this exemption because the state property tax code is complicated and has strict eligibility requirements. Most properties are not eligible because they have not experienced a large enough increase in equalized assessed value for at least ten years. Depending on household income, there must be a 7% or 10% increase in equalized assessed value for each year after the base year through and including the current tax year. To understand how the exemption works, look under the eligibility tab.