City Of Evanston: Apply For Senior Citizen Property Tax Exemptions

Press release from the City of Evanston:

02/04/2022 10:36 AM

The City of Evanston's Property Tax Assessment Review Office is advising Evanston residents 65 years or older of two different senior property tax exemptions, as well as the Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral Program for which some may qualify.

In response to COVID-19, the Cook County Assessor’s Office will continue the automatic renewal of the Senior Freeze, Veterans with Disabilities, and Persons with Disabilities Exemptions; the Homeowner and Senior Exemptions, will continue to auto-renew every year.

If a homeowner received any of the aforementioned five exemptions last year (tax year 2020), they do not need to reapply this year (tax year 2021). New seniors must apply for exemptions.

Local seniors are encouraged to call the Property Tax Assessment Review Office at 847-448-8168 for assistance completing the application forms or questions.

Eligibility for Senior Exemptions:

If a senior qualifies for the Senior Freeze this year but did not last year, a Senior Freeze application will have to be completed. Seniors in this situation will not get a Senior Freeze application in the mail, but can obtain an application from the Assessor's website or call the Property Tax office.

New Senior Exemption applications and all Senior Freeze applications will be made available by the Assessor's office in early March. You may visit www.cookcountyassessor.com/exemptions for more information.

The eligibility requirements described above are for the 2021 property taxes, which are paid in calendar year 2022. The savings from these exemptions will appear on second installment tax bills that will likely be mailed in the summer of 2022.

Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral Program

The Senior Citizen Tax Deferral program is a property tax-relief program that works like a loan. It allows qualified seniors to defer as much as $5,000 in property taxes each year until their homes or condominiums are sold. Applications for this program must be submitted by Tuesday, March 1. There are no time extensions.

To qualify, seniors must have annual household income of less than $55,000, have equity in their homes that exceeds the sum of property taxes deferred, and have lived in their homes for at least three years, as well as other requirements. For additional information and to obtain the application, seniors should visit the Cook County Treasurer's website at www.cookcountytreasurer.com.

Seniors with additional questions regarding tax exemptions and the Senior Citizen Tax Deferral Program can call the Property Tax Assessment Review Office at 847-448-8168.

This press release was produced by the City of Evanston. The views expressed here are the author’s own.