Exemptions
How Illinois assessments are built, where they go wrong, and what an owner can actually do about it. 105 articles, written to be useful to somebody who then does it themselves.
The general homestead exemption, and how it goes missing
The one nearly every Illinois owner-occupier gets — and the one that quietly falls off after a title change.
Exemptions · 2 min
The senior citizens homestead exemption
An additional reduction for owner-occupiers aged 65 or over. Some counties renew it automatically; some do not.
Exemptions · 2 min
The senior assessment freeze: what it does and does not freeze
It freezes the assessed value, not the tax bill. People are surprised by that every year.
Exemptions · 2 min
The home improvement exemption: renovate without an immediate tax rise
Up to a statutory limit of added value is exempt for four years. Most people never claim it.
Exemptions · 2 min
Exemptions for veterans with disabilities
Tiered by service-connected disability rating, and at the top tier the property can be fully exempt.
Exemptions · 2 min
The homestead exemption for persons with disabilities
An annual exemption for owner-occupiers with a qualifying disability, requiring yearly proof.
Exemptions · 2 min
Why your exemption disappeared
Title changes, missed renewals, and deaths. All three are fixable, often retroactively.
Exemptions · 2 min
Check exemptions before you appeal
An exemption is a form. An appeal is a hearing with risk. Do the cheap one first.
Exemptions · 2 min
Where exemptions actually apply in the calculation
After equalization, before the rate. The order determines what a given exemption is worth to you.
Exemptions · 2 min
Applying for and renewing exemptions without losing a year
Which renew automatically, which do not, and the calendar that keeps them.
Exemptions · 2 min
Charitable, religious and educational exemptions
Owner status is not enough. Illinois tests actual use, parcel by parcel.
Exemptions · 3 min
When your property is damaged: disaster relief and reassessment
A destroyed or damaged building should not be assessed as though it still stands.
Exemptions · 2 min
Eight exemption errors worth ten minutes of your time
A checklist to run against your tax bill before you consider anything harder.
Exemptions · 2 min
Renting out your home ends the homestead exemption
Occupancy is the test. Moving out without saying so creates a problem that compounds.
Exemptions · 3 min
What to do about exemptions in your first year of ownership
The seller's exemptions do not become yours. Assume nothing carried over.
Exemptions · 3 min