31,000 Cook County seniors could qualify for lower property taxes
County Treasurer Maria Pappas: 31,000 senior citizens could apply for money-saving Cook County property tax exemptions
As many as 31,000 senior citizens could save hundreds of dollars immediately on their property tax bills due August 1 by applying for exemptions they previously received, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said today.
Those homeowners received the Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption last year but have not reapplied, according to an estimate by the Treasurer’s Office. Of those seniors, roughly 21,000 received the Senior Freeze Exemption last year but also have not reapplied, Pappas added.
To check the status of your tax exemptions—or to make a payment—visit cookcountytreasurer.com and:
- Select “Your Property Overview”
- Enter your address or Property Index Number (PIN)
State law requires that senior citizens reapply every year for these exemptions, which are available to homeowners who are 65 years of age or older. The Senior Freeze is limited to seniors with annual household incomes of $65,000 or less. Some of the homes may no longer be eligible for the exemptions.
Applications for tax exemptions are available from the Cook County Assessor’s Office. If the Assessor’s Office grants the application, it will issue an adjusted bill for the Second Installment of Tax Year 2017, due August 1, 2018.
Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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