ERRONEOUS PROPERTY TAX HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS by Terry Kelly, Assessor

In accordance with Illinois Property Tax Code legislation recently enacted, the Cook County Assessor‘s Office is administering a program to ensure that taxpayers are not receiving homestead exemptions on multiple properties.  By law, homestead exemptions of any kind are to be given to the taxpayer on only one property.  That property must be the principal residence of the taxpayer.  Taxpayers who are taking erroneous property tax homestead exemptions will be subject to arrearage payments that include interest and penalties and civil or criminal prosecution. 

However, effective June 1, 2013, the Cook County Assessor’s Office has established an amnesty period for all taxpayers.  This covers all taxpayers owing any amount due to an erroneous homestead exemption granted in a tax year prior to the 2013 tax year. The amnesty period will run from June 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013. To take advantage of the amnesty, the taxpayer must:  1) present himself or herself in person to the Office of the Cook County Assessor and affirmatively give notice that he or she received a specific erroneous homestead exemption in a specific previous assessment year and allow the amount of arrearages to be calculated and 2) pay all arrearages due to the Cook County Treasurer.  The Cook County Assessor’s office can be reached at 312-443-7550 and is located at 118 N. Clark Street, 3rd Floor, Chicago, Illinois.