Park Ridge and Niles homeowners who are missing property tax exemptions on their 2025 second-installment bills can file to recover savings covering four tax years.
The Cook County Assessor's Office is urging homeowners to check the bottom left corner of their tax bills for exemption deductions, according to the office's website. The most common break, the Homeowner Exemption, saves eligible owners around $1,000 a year. Senior homeowners over 65 may qualify for additional savings through the Senior Exemption, and seniors and veterans may be eligible for the Senior Freeze and Veterans with Disabilities exemptions.
Homeowners who discover a missing exemption can file a Certificate of Error application with the Assessor's Office. The process covers the 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2022 tax years, meaning residents could recoup multiple years of missed savings in one filing.
Applications can be submitted online through the Assessor's Office Certificate of Error page or by scheduling an in-person appointment at an Assessor's Office location. A list of accepted photo IDs and required documents is posted on the Assessor's website, and a full list of available exemptions is on the office's exemptions page.
Free workshops next week
The Assessor's Office is hosting two free virtual workshops to walk homeowners through the process. An English-language session is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 6 p.m., and a Spanish-language session follows Thursday, Sept. 10, at 6 p.m. Both will stream on Facebook and YouTube.
Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi has urged homeowners to claim every exemption available. "If you live in your home and don't claim exemptions you may be eligible for, you're missing out on hundreds of dollars, sometimes thousands of dollars, in property tax savings," Kaegi said on March 11, when the office opened the regular exemption filing season.
Payment deadline
The 2025 second-installment tax bill is due to the Cook County Treasurer's Office by Thursday, Oct. 1. Payment options are listed on the Treasurer's Office website.
