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Exemptions

How Illinois assessments are built, where they go wrong, and what an owner can actually do about it. 90 articles, written to be useful to somebody who then does it themselves.

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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 · 2 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 · 2 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 · 2 min

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