Illinois homestead exemption
Property tax relief for owner-occupied homes, tax year 2026
Illinois lowers the equalized assessed value of your home by up to $10,000 in Cook County, $8,000 in counties next to Cook and $6,000 everywhere else. The general homestead exemption is usually applied by your assessor without a separate application, and deadlines for the other exemptions are set by your county.
State law sets the exemption amounts, and each county's assessment office runs them. The exemption reduces the equalized assessed value (EAV) your tax rate is applied to. You apply through your county's chief assessment office, which in many counties is the township assessor or supervisor of assessments.
What changed
Senior freeze income limit rises to $75,000
The household income limit for the low-income senior citizens assessment freeze is $75,000 for tax year 2026 (bills payable in 2027), up from $65,000 for 2018 through 2025. It rises to $77,000 for 2027 and $79,000 for 2028 and after.
Effective: tax year 2026
World War II veterans exempt from property tax
For tax years 2024 and later, the homes of World War II veterans are exempt regardless of disability level. Veterans with a 70 percent or higher disability rating get the first $250,000 of EAV exempt.
Effective: tax year 2024 and later
Exemptions at a glance
| Exemption | Amount | Who qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| General homestead exemption | Up to $10,000 off EAV in Cook County, $8,000 in counties next to Cook, $6,000 elsewhere source | Owner-occupants who live in the home as their principal residence and pay the property taxes. |
| Senior citizens homestead exemption | Up to $8,000 off EAV in Cook and counties next to Cook, $5,000 elsewhere source | Owner-occupants age 65 or older who pay the property taxes. |
| Low-income senior citizens assessment freeze | Freezes your home's EAV at the base year value source | Owner-occupants age 65 or older with household income of $75,000 or less for 2026. |
| Homestead exemption for persons with disabilities | $2,000 off EAV source | Owners or lessees of a single family home who live there and are unable to work because of a disability. |
| Standard homestead exemption for veterans with disabilities | $2,500 off EAV at 30 to 49 percent disability; $5,000 at 50 to 69 percent; first $250,000 of EAV at 70 percent or more source | Illinois veterans with a VA-certified service-connected disability of at least 30 percent who live in the home. |
| Surviving spouse of a veteran | Same exemption as the veteran; first $250,000 of EAV in some cases; 100 percent if the veteran was killed in the line of duty source | Unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran who was disabled, killed in the line of duty, or whose death was service-connected and who receives federal dependency and indemnity compensation. |
| Specially adapted housing exemption for veterans | Up to $100,000 off assessed value source | Veterans with disabilities in homes bought or built with federal specially adapted housing funds, and their spouse or unmarried surviving spouse. |
| Returning veterans homestead exemption | $5,000 off EAV source | Veterans returning from active duty in an armed conflict involving U.S. forces. |
General homestead exemption: The exemption is the increase in your EAV above the 1977 EAV, up to the maximum for your county. DuPage and Lake are among the counties next to Cook.
Senior citizens homestead exemption: Filing rules vary by county: some counties require Form PTAX-324 or an annual certificate (Form PTAX-329), and in Cook County you must apply each year.
Low-income senior citizens assessment freeze: The income limit is $75,000 for 2026, $77,000 for 2027 and $79,000 for 2028 and after. You must file Form PTAX-340 every year. Your tax bill can still rise if tax rates rise or you add improvements.
Homestead exemption for persons with disabilities: File Form PTAX-343 with proof of disability and renew each year with Form PTAX-343-R. You cannot receive it in the same year as a veterans with disabilities exemption.
Standard homestead exemption for veterans with disabilities: Veterans of World War II get a full exemption for tax years 2024 and later regardless of disability level. Apply with Form PTAX-342 through your local assessment office.
Surviving spouse of a veteran: The spouse must live in the home and hold legal or beneficial title. The exemption can move to a new primary residence if the original home is sold.
Specially adapted housing exemption for veterans: The VA must have authorized the specially adapted housing benefit. It cannot be combined in the same year with the disabilities or standard veterans exemption.
Returning veterans homestead exemption: It applies to the year of return and the next year, and you must own and occupy the home on January 1. File Form PTAX-341.
How to file
- Where: File with your county's chief county assessment office; in Cook County, with the Cook County Assessor.
- Deadline: Set by your county. Illinois law leaves application periods to each county, so check your county assessor. The DuPage senior freeze deadline is October 1 and Cook County processes late applications as certificates of error for earlier tax years. source
- Form: Forms vary by exemption, such as PTAX-324 (senior), PTAX-340 (senior freeze), PTAX-343 (disability) and PTAX-342 (veterans)
- Renewal: Many counties renew the general homestead without refiling, but the senior freeze, disability, returning veterans and some senior exemptions must be filed again each year.
If you just bought
The general homestead exemption goes to the owner who lives in the home as a principal residence, so a new owner should confirm with the assessor that it is on the property in their name. Ask your county which other exemptions you must apply for yourself. source
Caps and freezes
- Senior assessment freeze: Freezes the EAV of the home of a qualifying senior at the base year value while they keep qualifying. source
By county
Your county sets the application windows and the paperwork, Cook County adds a longtime homeowner exemption, and some counties have chosen the alternative general homestead exemption, so open your county page for exact steps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the homestead exemption in Illinois?
Illinois lowers the equalized assessed value of your home by up to $10,000 in Cook County, $8,000 in counties next to Cook and $6,000 everywhere else. The general homestead exemption is usually applied by your assessor without a separate application, and deadlines for the other exemptions are set by your county.
When is the deadline to file for a homestead exemption in Illinois?
Set by your county. Illinois law leaves application periods to each county, so check your county assessor. The DuPage senior freeze deadline is October 1 and Cook County processes late applications as certificates of error for earlier tax years.
Is there a senior or over-65 homestead exemption in Illinois?
Senior citizens homestead exemption: Up to $8,000 off EAV in Cook and counties next to Cook, $5,000 elsewhere. Owner-occupants age 65 or older who pay the property taxes. Filing rules vary by county: some counties require Form PTAX-324 or an annual certificate (Form PTAX-329), and in Cook County you must apply each year.
Did the Illinois homestead exemption change?
Senior freeze income limit rises to $75,000. The household income limit for the low-income senior citizens assessment freeze is $75,000 for tax year 2026 (bills payable in 2027), up from $65,000 for 2018 through 2025. It rises to $77,000 for 2027 and $79,000 for 2028 and after. Effective: tax year 2026. World War II veterans exempt from property tax. For tax years 2024 and later, the homes of World War II veterans are exempt regardless of disability level. Veterans with a 70 percent or higher disability rating get the first $250,000 of EAV exempt. Effective: tax year 2024 and later.
Sources
Checked November 14, 2026 for tax year 2026. Amounts set by local taxing units can differ; the county pages list them where we have them.
General information, not tax advice. Confirm the amount and deadline with Illinois Department of Revenue or your county office.
Homestead exemptions by state