Key Takeaways
The senior freeze locks in your home's equalized assessed value, not your tax bill, so the bill can still rise if rates increase.
You must be 65 or older, use the home as your primary residence, and meet the income limit.
A new Illinois law raises the income limit to $75,000 (2026), $77,000 (2027), and $79,000 (2028 and after), up from $65,000.
The freeze does not auto-renew; you file Form PTAX-340 every year with your county assessment office.
Introduction
Illinois has one of the highest effective property tax rates in the country, the second-highest of any state. Cook County sits on the high end. In 2024, Cook County alone saw tax bills spike for about 240,000 homeowners, with the typical homeowner's bill climbing about $1,700.
If you're a senior on a fixed income, the Illinois senior property tax freeze can help you hold the line. At Ownwell, we want you to understand exactly what it does, who qualifies, and how to claim it.
A new Illinois law, effective for the 2026 tax year, raises the freeze's income limit. We cover the updated figures below.
Unsure Which Exemptions You Qualify For?
Key Programs for Seniors
If you're retired or living on a fixed income, a rising tax bill is a real problem. You may have owned your home for decades while values around you climbed, pulling your taxes up with them. The good news: Illinois offers several senior exemptions that can lower what you owe.
Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption (SCAFHE)
Most people call it the senior freeze. Its formal name is the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption (SCAFHE). This is the Illinois senior property tax freeze. It freezes your home's equalized assessed value (EAV), the figure used to calculate your tax bill.
To qualify, you must be at least 65, use the home as your primary residence, and be responsible for its real estate taxes. You must also meet the household income limit.
A new Illinois law raised that limit. A flat $65,000 limit applied through the 2025 tax year, and Cook County still lists $65,000 for the 2024 calendar year. The higher limits phase in as follows:
Taxable Year | Income Limit | Payable In |
|---|---|---|
2026 | $75,000 or less | 2027 |
2027 | $77,000 or less | 2028 |
2028 and after | $79,000 or less | 2029 |
The freeze caps your EAV, not your tax rate or your final bill. If local rates rise or you add improvements, your bill can still go up. Here is a hypothetical example:
Base-year EAV, frozen: $50,000
EAV without the freeze: $58,000
Local tax rate, illustrative: 7%
Annual bill with the freeze: $50,000 x 7% = $3,500
Annual bill without the freeze: $58,000 x 7% = $4,060
Annual savings: $560
These numbers are for illustration only. Your county's actual rate and assessed value determine your real savings.
The freeze does not renew automatically. You must reapply every year by filing Form PTAX-340 with your Chief County Assessment Office. Cook County residents apply through the Cook County Assessor's Office.
Illinois Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption
The basic senior Illinois homestead exemption doesn't freeze your home's value, but it takes $8,000 off the equalized assessed value in Cook and contiguous counties, or $5,000 in other Illinois counties. On a home assessed at $489,000, taxes would be figured on $481,000.
To qualify, you must be 65 or older, and the home must be your primary residence as of January 1 of the tax year. This exemption renews automatically, so you don't have to reapply. You can't stack it with the general homestead exemption, though.
Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program
The Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program is not an exemption. It works like a low-interest loan for your property tax bill payments. Under this deferral program, you can defer up to $7,500 in real estate taxes each year on your primary Illinois residence.
You repay the balance when you sell the home or from your estate, which helps you avoid delinquent taxes. To qualify, you must meet these criteria:
Age: Provide proof you are 65 or older before June 1 of the application year.
Income: Keep household income at or below the phased-in limit — $75,000 for 2026, rising to $77,000 in 2027 and $79,000 in 2028 and after (up from a flat $65,000 through 2025).
Residency: Own and occupy the home for at least three consecutive years.
Insurance: Carry fire or casualty insurance equal to the deferred taxes.
Standing: Have no outstanding property tax or special assessments.
If the homeowner dies, a surviving spouse can qualify if they are at least 55 and apply within six months. Joint owners need written approval from a spouse or trustee for property held in an Illinois Land Trust.
Long-time Occupant Homestead Exemption (LOHE)
Cook County offers the Long-time Occupant Homestead Exemption (LOHE). Its requirements are strict, but some taxpayers can stack it on top of the general homestead exemption for extra relief. Only about 2% of homeowners are eligible each year.
To qualify, you must have owned and lived in your Cook County home for 10 years. For example, ownership from January 1, 2015 to January 1, 2025 lets you apply in 2025. Your income must be $100,000 or less the prior year, and your assessment increase must exceed the state's set thresholds.
Find out in 60 seconds if you're overpaying.
Tax Exemptions for Veterans and Persons with Disabilities
Illinois offers two property tax exemptions for veterans with disabilities:
Specially adapted housing exemption: Up to $100,000 off assessed value for homes adapted with federal Veterans Affairs funds.
Standard homestead exemption for veterans: A reduction in equalized assessed value scaled to the service-connected disability level; a surviving spouse can keep it.
Renewal rules differ:
The standard veterans exemption auto-renews unless your disability percentage changes.
The specially adapted housing exemption typically requires annual renewal.
Illinois Senior Property Tax Freeze Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for a senior freeze in Illinois, you must be 65 or older, own the home, and use it as your primary residence. You must also be liable for the real estate taxes on the property.
For SCAFHE specifically, your household income must fall under the new phase-in limit, $75,000 for 2026 and rising to $79,000 by 2028. See the SCAFHE section above for the full schedule. Most of these programs require an annual application.
How To Apply for Illinois Senior Tax Exemptions
Some exemptions renew on their own. Others, including the senior freeze, require a fresh application each year. Follow these four steps to stay covered:
Check which exemptions renew automatically: The senior homestead and disabled-person exemptions renew without action from you.
File your annual applications: Renew the senior freeze, veterans-with-disabilities, and long-time occupant exemptions each year using Form PTAX-340 or your county's online form.
Watch your county deadline: Deadlines vary and often fall in late March. Cook County requests after May 15, 2026 become a Certificate of Error.
Apply for missed years: If you qualified before but never filed, ask about retroactive claims.
Illinois tax law is complicated, and an expert can help you spot and file every exemption you qualify for. If you're unsure where you stand, let us answer your questions.
What Happens When Tax Rates Increase and Property Values Change?
If you don't have a mortgage or escrow account, you pay your property taxes directly to your county on its due date. Keep that in mind as we explain the escrow scenario below.
When property values and tax rates rise, your tax liability rises too. So even a welcome jump in your home's value comes with a bigger bill, especially in Cook County.
If your mortgage company pays your taxes through an escrow account, your monthly payment climbs when values and rates go up. For a senior on a fixed income, that strain adds up fast.
This is why the freeze matters: it caps your EAV, but it can't stop a rate increase from raising your bill.
How Ownwell Can Help
At Ownwell, we handle the paperwork so you don't have to. We identify every exemption you qualify for and file your property tax exemptions for you. In Illinois, we can even claim missed homestead exemptions from the past one to three years.
If your assessment looks too high, we also file property tax appeals on your behalf. We work on contingency pricing with no upfront cost, so you only pay if you save.
Our customers save an average of $774 a year, and we maintain an 88% success rate on the appeals we file. We're local tax experts who know how to apply, appeal, and lower what you owe.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Illinois senior freeze lower my tax bill?
It freezes your equalized assessed value, not the bill itself. Your bill can still rise if local rates go up or you add improvements.
What is the income limit for the Illinois senior freeze?
For 2026, it is $75,000 or less, rising to $77,000 in 2027 and $79,000 in 2028 and after. A flat $65,000 limit applied through 2025.
How old do I have to be to qualify?
You must be at least 65 years old.
Do I have to reapply every year?
Yes. The freeze does not auto-renew, so you file Form PTAX-340 annually with your county assessment office.
What changed under the new Illinois senior freeze law?
The income limit now phases up through 2028.
