Assessor’s Office approves record number of tax-saving exemptions for seniors and veterans with disabilities


Assessor’s Office approves record number of tax-saving exemptions for seniors and veterans with disabilities


Cook County – The Cook County Assessor’s Office approved a record number of exemptions for seniors and veterans with disabilities in Tax Year 2024, helping tens of thousands of homeowners receive much-needed property tax savings.

Exemptions are property tax savings that most homeowners in Cook County are entitled to receive. The Assessor’s Office is responsible for administering these exemptions.

In Tax Year 2024, the Assessor’s Office approved more than 1,500,000 exemptions for homeowners. Savings from these exemptions will appear on tax bills that are mailed out later this year.

Of these, 367,000 were Senior exemptions, available to homeowners 65 years of age or older whose home is their principal place of residence. Nearly 12,000 were Veterans with Disabilities exemptions, including over 10,000 for veterans that have a disability rating of 70% or greater.

This marks the highest number of applications processed for both exemptions since at least 2018.

Both exemptions have seen the number of recipients increase since the Assessor’s Office successfully advocated for legislation to have them automatically renew each year. The Veterans with Disabilities exemption auto-renews for veterans who are rated 100% disabled and classified as "permanently and totally disabled" by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“When these exemption counts go up, it means that more of Cook County’s most vulnerable residents are receiving the help they need to stay in their homes,” said Assessor Fritz Kaegi.

“I’m grateful to my hard-working staff for their work to help homeowners who come into the office, as well as going out into communities to meet with people where they live.”

Since 2018, the Assessor’s Office has steadily expanded its outreach efforts, including in communities where residents have historically not received exemptions to which they are entitled.

In 2024, the office participated in a record 218 events, including 62 in Spanish. The Assessor’s Office was awarded a 2025 NACo Achievement Award for its outreach efforts.

Homeowners missing exemptions can still apply.

If a homeowner believes they are eligible for an exemption they have not received, they can apply for their missing property tax savings by completing a Certificate of Error application.

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