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Long-Time Homeowner Exemption

The Longtime Occupant Homeowner Exemption enables property owners to receive an expanded Homeowner Exemption with no maximum exemption amount. Of the 1.5 million residential properties in Cook County, fewer 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.

The Cook County Assessor's Office automatically detects which properties qualify based on assessment increases. 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.

? 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. 

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Eligibility

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  • Owned and occupied your residence from January 1, 2010 to January 1, 2020. 
  • A total household income of $100,000 or less for income tax year 2019.
  • A property assessment increase that was significant enough to exceed the maximum amounts set by the state legislature.

Please Note: Approximately 11,000 properties in Cook County qualify for this exemption. This is fewer than 2% of homeowners. The Cook County Assessor's Office determines which properties qualify based on assessment increases. These properties will receive application forms in the mail in early March, 2021.

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Documentation Required to Apply 

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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. For tax year 2020, applications are scheduled to mail by early March, 2021.

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 and apply the exemption(s) that will produce the largest property tax savings for you.

Please note: Properties not eligible to receive this exemption may be eligible to receive the full benefits of the standard Homeowner Exemption.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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How soon does the application have to be returned?
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 and, if eligible, to apply to the second-installment property tax bills that will be sent this summer. 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 this year or is the requirement waived due to COVID-19 related restrictions?
Required forms for the Longtime Homeowner Exemption still need to be notarized per Illinois state law. 
 

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+ Frequently Asked Questions
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How to Apply

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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 and, if eligible, to apply to the second-installment property tax bills that will be sent this summer. 

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