Cook County seniors citizen homeowners may be missing out on hundreds in property tax breaks they haven’t reapplied for. Be sure to check in with your senior clients.
Property tax bills are due August 1. As many as 31,000 seniors age 65 and over could be leaving money on the table, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said in a news release.
These homeowners received the Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption last year but have not reapplied. Of these, roughly 21,000 received the Senior Freeze Exemption last year but haven’t reapplied. The Senior Freeze Exemption is limited to seniors with annual household incomes of $65,000 or less.
Illinois state law requires seniors to reapply every year for these exemptions.
You and your clients can check the status of tax exemptions on the Cook County Treasurer website:
- Select “Your Property Overview”
- Enter the address or Property Index Number (PIN)