Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP)
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Taxes
Property tax relief for seniors in Illinois
Illinois has 3 programs that can lower property taxes for older adults: Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption, Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption and Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program. Each one has its own rules and deadline.
Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption
If you are 65 or older and pay property tax on the home you live in, Illinois takes up to $5,000 off its taxable value, or up to $8,000 in Cook County and the counties next to it. You apply with your county's chief assessment office.
How to apply
- In person
- File with your Chief County Assessment Office (some counties use Form PTAX-324 to start and PTAX-329 to renew); in Cook County, apply each year with the Cook County Assessor's Office
Who may qualify
| Age | 65 or older |
|---|---|
| Home | You live in the home, own it (or have a written legal or equitable interest), and are responsible for its property taxes |
What you may get
| Exemption, most counties | Up to $5,000 off the home's equalized assessed value |
|---|---|
| Exemption, Cook County and the counties that border it | Up to $8,000 off the home's equalized assessed value |
Dates, renewals and waiting lists
| Do you reapply? | Depends on the county; in Cook County, yes, every year |
|---|
How Illinois is different
Where Illinois's rules differ from the federal rules for Property tax relief for seniors.
- Stacks on top of the General Homestead Exemption that all homeowners can get (up to $6,000, $8,000 or $10,000 depending on the county)
Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption
If you are 65 or older with household income of $75,000 or less, Illinois can freeze the taxable value of your home at the level of the year you first qualify. Your bill can still go up if tax rates rise. You apply every year with your county's chief assessment office.
How to apply
- In person
- File Form PTAX-340 with your Chief County Assessment Office each year
Who may qualify
| Age | 65 or older |
|---|---|
| Household income limit, taxable year 2026 (taxes paid in 2027) | $75,000 or less |
| Household income limit, taxable year 2027 (paid in 2028) | $77,000 or less |
| Household income limit, taxable year 2028 on (paid in 2029 on) | $79,000 or less |
What you may get
| What it does | Your home's equalized assessed value stays at its base-year level while you keep qualifying |
|---|
Dates, renewals and waiting lists
| Do you reapply? | Yes, every year |
|---|
How Illinois is different
Where Illinois's rules differ from the federal rules for Property tax relief for seniors.
- The value is frozen, not the tax: your bill can still rise with tax rates or if you add improvements
Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program
If you are 65 or older with household income under the state limit, Illinois lets you put off paying up to $7,500 a year of property tax on your home, at 3% interest. A lien is placed on the home, and the deferred tax is repaid within a year after your death or 90 days after the home stops qualifying. You apply each year with your county collector between January 1 and March 1.
How to apply
- In person
- File Forms IL-1017 and IL-1018 with your county collector (treasurer), January 1 to March 1
Who may qualify
| Age | 65 or older by June 1 of the year you apply |
|---|---|
| Household income limit, 2025 tax year | $75,000 |
| Household income limit, 2026 tax year | $77,000 |
| Home | You have owned and lived in the home for at least the last three years (time in a licensed care facility doesn't break this) |
| Insurance | You must have fire and casualty insurance on the home |
What you may get
| Most you can defer each year | $7,500 |
|---|---|
| Interest (2023 tax year on) | 3% a year |
Dates, renewals and waiting lists
| Application deadline | March 1 each year (filing opens January 1) |
|---|---|
| Do you reapply? | Yes, each year for that year's taxes |
How Illinois is different
Where Illinois's rules differ from the federal rules for Property tax relief for seniors.
- Total deferred taxes, interest and fees can't exceed 80% of your equity in the home
Good to know
- The deferral must be repaid within one year of the owner's death, or 90 days after the home stops qualifying.
Free help
Free help with this in Illinois
Illinois Department on Aging
Your local Area Agency on Aging can help with meals, rides, help at home, caregiver support and applying for benefits.
More help in Illinois
Property tax relief in another state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
- Illinois Department of Revenue, Property Tax Relief (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Illinois Department of Revenue, PIO-64, Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program Frequently Asked Questions (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
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