2022 Cook County Property Tax Homeowner Exemption

Cook County Property Taxes for 2022 are payable in two installments in 2023. The first installment is 55% of the prior year’s bill, and was due on April 3, 2023. The second installment is typically due on August 1.

Cook County allows for eligible property owners to obtain discounts on their property taxes by applying for exemptions. This article focuses on the most common exemption, the Homeowner Exemption. Other available exemptions can be found on the Assessor’s website.

The Homeowner Exemption for Cook County Property Taxes is available in a given year to people who owned and occupied their home as of January 1 of that year. If you purchased your property in 2021, the Cook County Assessor typically will remove any prior exemptions associated with the property for 2022 taxes.

That means that properties purchased in 2021 that are eligible for 2022 exemptions must submit the appropriate application to the Cook County Assessor. In early 2023, the Cook County Assessor’s office released the 2022 Homeowner Exemption Application.

What is it?

Property taxes are issued based upon a formula that includes the property value and tax rate. The Homeowner Exemption is a deduction from the property’s Equalized Assessed Value (EAV). In Cook County, homeowners eligible for this exemption reduce their 2021 EAV by $10,000. This means your total savings will amount to $10,000 times your local tax rate. Tax rates are can range between 2 and 20%, so the savings can be anywhere between $200 and $2,000, though savings are more commonly between $600 and $1200 per year. All savings will be reflected on the second installment.

Am I Eligible?

Taxpayers are eligible for the 2022 Homeowner Exemption on one property if that property fulfills the following conditions:

  • The property is your primary residence

  • The property is a single-family home, townhouse, condominium, co-op or apartment building (up to six units)

  • You occupied the property on January 1, 2022

How Do I Apply?

To apply, complete the 2022 Homeowner Exemption Application found on the Cook County Assessor’s Office Website. It is recommended that you file electronically.

Please follow the above link, read the application in-full and carefully follow the instructions. To complete it, you will need:

  • Your Property Address

  • Your Property Index Number (PIN) (See below on where to locate your PIN.)

Once you have completed the Application, DocuSign will prompt you to attach your proof of identity, occupancy and tax liability. You have several options for demonstrating this. Please carefully read page 2 of the application form. Please note, if your name was on the deed, you do not have to prove tax liability.

Once you attach proof of your identity, occupancy, and or tax liability, submit the DocuSign envelope.

How do I locate my Property Index Number (PIN)?

Your PIN can be located in the top right-hand corner of any tax bill.

If you can’t find your bill, you can locate your property’s PIN at the Cook County Treasurer’s Office Website. Simply “Search by Property Address” and provide input to the prompts. Select “Search”. The search will produce a photo of your home. The fourteen digit number immediately to the right of your property’s photo is your PIN.

I think I have been eligible for this exemption for many years; I wish I would have known about this sooner. Is there any way I can get my money back?

Good news! You can request refund for missed exemptions by submitting a Certificate of Error for each year, up to three years prior to the current tax year (2018-on). To submit a Certificate of Error, start by downloading the application from the Cook County Assessor’s Office Website. Please read and follow the instructions carefully.

Complete one Certificate of Error form for each tax year you are eligible to apply, then gather and submit the following items to the Cook County Assessor’s Office:

  • Your Certificate of Error Application

  • Copy of your Illinois Driver’s License or ID Card reflecting your residency at the property for which you apply.

  • Copy of your phone bill, noting the date of installation, your name and property address, OR your voting record, reflecting both the tax year and the address of the property for which you apply.

    • If either of these documents are unavailable, you may submit a Occupancy Affidavit. Executing this form affirms you lived at the property over the course of the date range specified on the form. This range must be inclusive of January 1, 2022, so please make sure the date range you list is inclusive of that date.