Monthly Archives: September 2014

Are You Eligible for a Cook County Property Tax Exemption?

Are you eligible for a Cook County Property Tax Exemption?

Eligibility CRITERIA FOR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION AND OTHER RELATED EXEMPTIONS

For ALL homestead exemptions including the General Exemption, a taxpayer must:

• Live in the property as of January 1 of the tax year;

• Use the property as his or her principal dwelling place; and

• Assume legal responsibility to pay the property taxes.

 

For the Senior Citizen Exemption, a taxpayer also must:

• Be at least 65-years-old anytime in the tax year.

 

For the Senior Citizen Assessment Freeze Exemption, a taxpayer also must:

• Be at least 65-years-old anytime in the tax year; and

• Have a household income of $55,000 or less.

 

For the Returning Veterans’ Exemption, a taxpayer also must:

• Have served in the U.S. Armed or Reserve Forces or the Illinois National Guard; and

• Have actively served in an armed conflict involving U.S. Armed Forces.

 

For a Disabled Veterans’ Standard Exemption, a taxpayer also must:

• Be honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed or Reserve Forces or the Illinois National Guard; and

• Suffer a service-related disability of at least 50%.

• Live in a property with an equalized assessed value of no more than $250,000 (excluding any part used for business or rented for 6 months or longer.)

 

For a Disabled Veterans’ Exemption, a taxpayer also must:

• Qualify for the Disabled Veterans’ Standard Exemption (see above); and

• Live in a property with an assessed value of no more than $70,000; and

• Have a disability of such a nature that the Federal Government has authorized payment for purchase or construction of Specially Adapted Housing or as otherwise specified in Section 15-165 of the Property Tax Code.

  • Note: Anyone who claims this exemption may not also claim the Disabled Veteran’s Standard Exemption (see above) or the Disabled Persons’ Exemption (see below).

 

For the Disabled Persons’ Exemption, a taxpayer also must:

• Be unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.

 

For the Long-Time Occupant Exemption, a taxpayer also must:

• Have a total household income of $100,000 or less;

• As of January 1 of the tax year, have occupied the property as principal residence for at least 10 continuous years OR have occupied the property as principal for at least 5 continuous years if the taxpayer received the property as part of a government or nonprofit housing program; and

• Face a property assessment increase that exceeds limits set out in Section I S-177 of the Property Tax Code.

Additional information on all exemptions is available online at www.cookcountyassessor.com and in the Illinois Property Tax Code at www.ilga.gov.

Source: Cook County Assessor’s Office

Mailing in Your Property Tax Appeal? Make Sure to Use USPS…

Use the U.S. Postal Service if you plan to send your property tax appeal in via mailThe Illinois Appellate Court, Second District, issued an opinion on September 3, 2014 in the case of BLTREJV3 Chicago, LLC v. The Kane County Board of Review, 2014 IL App (2d) 140164.

In that opinion, the court held that property tax appeals sent to Kane County Board of Review are not timely when deposited with a third-party commercial carrier (such as FedEx) on due date for filing appeal of property tax assessment. Board had adopted and published rules of procedure that incorporated the Statute on Statutes, which has a “mailbox rule” providing that a document is deemed “filed” as of date of mailing via U.S. mail. Board rules state that “mailbox rule” does not apply to communications delivered by FedEx or other commercial or non-commercial delivery entity. Had Petitioners sent tax appeals via U.S. mail, the postmark would have served as date of filing, and Board would have considered appeals timely. The property owners in this case had 71 of their 72 property tax appeals rejected as untimely as a result of the opinion, because they were sent via FedEx instead of via the U.S. Postal Service.

For a copy of the complete opinion, check out www.illinoiscourts.gov