Senior Freeze Exemption (35 ILCS 200/15-172)

Senior Freeze Exemption (35 ILCS 200/15-172)

Eligibility and Application Process

To Qualify:

  1. Property must be owner occupied by the senior on Jan 1st of the application year & the prior year.
  2. Property must be a residential single family home, town home, or condominium.
  3. Property owner must be 65 years of age in the application year.
  4. Total income of all household residents must not exceed $65,000 in the year prior to the application year.
  5. Application must be filed no later than October 1st of the application year.

Documents Needed:
a) Property deed or Title Insurance Policy (Name of senior must appear on this document).
b) Birth Certificate or Drivers License showing proof of age.
c) Income information from prior year that includes Social Security Statement, 1040 Income Tax Form (if filed), 1099 forms, pension & annuity statements for all household residents. Documents must prove total household income does not exceed $65,000.
d) Application & affidavit form must be signed by senior and notarized by public notary.

Process:

Call our office first to obtain application & affidavit forms. Complete both forms and bring them to our office along with documents "a", "b", and "cā€, and we will photocopy all documents and return originals to you. We will review the application and affidavit and ask you to sign both and we will notarize your signature. The application will be processed to the county. ALL INCOME INFORMATION WILL BE HELD IN STRICT CONFIDENCE AND DOES NOT BECOME PART OF ANY PUBLIC RECORD. Process must be repeated each year to keep exemption.

Effect:
The senior freeze exemption will exempt any assessment increase for that year (other than new improvements added to the property). The maximum household income for the Senior Assessment Freeze has been increased from $55,000 to $65,000 for the 2018 tax year, payable in 2019.

Forms
Click here for Senior Assessment Freeze Application