Willis Highlights New Senior Property Tax Relief Law

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A new law supported by state Rep. Kathleen Willis, D-Northlake, will protect seniors from their property taxes increasing by creating a five-year program that maintains the Cook County Senior homestead Exemption, eliminating a mandated annual application for the exemption.

“Seniors living on a fixed-income already pay a lot in taxes, and they should not be overpaying on property taxes because of burdensome paperwork,” Willis said. “This new law will cut down on bureaucratic paperwork and install a simpler policy to help seniors save on taxes.”  

Previously, Cook County seniors had to reapply annually for the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption while all other counties can choose to allow seniors to have the exemption automatically applied each year.

Willis supported House Bill 833, which institutes a 5-year pilot project for Cook County to allow senior citizens to apply for the senior homestead exemption once instead of having to apply for it annually. The law requires the Cook County Assessor to list the number of years remaining before a senior must reapply on assessment notices and includes protections to terminate the exemption when a senior citizen passes away. Additionally, the new law requires the Cook County Assessor to perform at least two audits of all claimed senior exemptions and take action to correct erroneously or fraudulently claimed exemptions.

“No one should be paying more in taxes than they already do, and this will help thousands of seniors from paying more,” Willis said. “I am fighting to build a stronger Illinois and middle class, and reducing overbearing paperwork to help seniors keep more of their money will help.”