What is the Longtime Occupant Homeowner Exemption?
The Longtime Occupant Homeowner Exemption enables you to receive an expanded Homeowner Exemption with no maximum exemption amount.
Who qualifies for a Longtime Occupant Homeowner Exemption?
Requirements for the Longtime Occupant Homeowner Exemption for Tax Year 2018 state that you must have
- Owned and occupied your residence from January 1, 2008 to January 1, 2018
- A total household income of $100,000 or less for income tax year 2016 and
- An assessment increase for your property that was significant enough to exceed the maximum amounts set by the state legislature.
When do I apply for the Longtime Occupant Homeowner Exemption?
Applications were mailed early this year to those properties which qualified.
Please note: Of the over 1.5 million residential properties in Cook County, only less than two percent (2%) qualified for the Longtime Occupant Homeowner Exemption last year. This is due to the way the state legislature wrote the provision and the requirements they put in place in order to qualify.
Simply put, would-be savings from the Longtime Occupant Homeowner Exemption would have to exceed the savings from the Standard Homeowner Exemption. This does not happen for more than 98% of residences in Cook County.
The Cook County Assessor?s Office wants all homeowner/occupants to receive the maximum exemption savings to which they are entitled. If we calculate that the Longtime Occupant Homeowner Exemption would provide the most savings for a home, we automatically mail an application.
If you wonder 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 and which exemption(s) will get you the most savings.
Please note: Properties not eligible to receive this exemption are automatically eligible to receive the full benefits of the standard Homeowner Exemption.