General Homestead Exemption (GHE)
This annual exemption is available for “residential property that is occupied by its owner or owners as his or their principal dwelling place, or that is a leasehold interest on which a single family residence is situated, which is occupied as a residence by a person who has an ownership interest therein, legal or equitable or as a lessee, and on which the person is liable for the payment of property taxes.” (35 ILCS 200/15-175) The amount of exemption is the increase in the current year’s equalized assessed value (EAV), above the 1977 EAV, up to a maximum of $10,000 in Cook County and $6,000 in all other counties.
(35 ILCS 200/15-177)
PTAX-324 Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption Application / PTAX-329 Senior Renewal
The senior citizens homestead exemption (35 ILCS 200/15-170) provides for an annual $5,000 reduction in the equalized assessed value of the property that you own or have a leasehold interest in, occupy as your principal residence during the assessment year, and are liable for the payment of property taxes.
Who is eligible? To qualify for the senior citizens homestead exemption, you must:
- be 65 years of age or older during the assessment year,
- own or have a legal or equitable interest in the property on which a single-family residence is occupied as your principal residence during the assessment year, and
- be liable for the payment of the property taxes.
(320 ILCS 30)
PTAX-340 Low In Come Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption (SCAFHE)
The low-income senior citizen assessment freeze homestead exemption qualifications for the 2026 tax year (for the property taxes you will pay in 2027), are listed below
Who is eligible?
- You will be 65 or older during the 2026 year.
- Your total household income in 2025 was $75,000 or less.
- On January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026, you used the property as your principal place of residence.
(35 ILCS 200/15-170)
PTAX-761 Request for Reduction Due to Destruction
if a building, structure, or other improvement assessed for property tax purposes was damaged or destroyed and rendered uninhabitable and unfit for occupancy or customary use. The destruction must be by natural disaster or accidental means and not by the willful misconduct of the owner. (Fire damage may qualify).
PTAX-327 Application for the Natural Disaster Homestead Exemption
The Natural Disaster Homestead Exemption is an exemption on homestead property for a rebuilt residential structure following a natural disaster. (Fire damage may qualify)
(35 ILCS 200/18-185)
PTAX-323 Application for Homestead Improvement
For the property to qualify for the exemption, you must own, occupy, and use the residential property exclusively for residential purposes. Owners must supply paid receipts or cancelled checks for the cost of the improvement. The exemption is limited to a maximum of $75,000 per year in fair cash value attributable to new improvements to existing structures on residential property. The exemption continues for four years from the date the improvement is completed and occupied. Some examples of qualified improvements are room additions, newly constructed attached or detached garages, and extensive remodeling not classified as general repair or maintenance that result in an increase in the assessment of the property.
(35 ILCS 200/15-173)
PTAX-342 Application for Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities (SHEVD)
The SHEVD (35 ILCS 200/15-169) provides an annual reduction in the equalized assessed value (EAV) of a primary residence occupied by a veteran with a disability, or the veteran’s qualifying surviving spouse, on January 1 of the assessment year or on a prorated basis during the time of occupancy for the assessment year. The SHEVD amount depends on the percentage of the service-connected disability as certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
(35 ILCS 200/15-169)