Property Tax Exemptions

2023 Exemptions - Fourth Installment Dates

March 18, 2024 Through April 16, 2024

If you have any questions regarding exemption status or document requirements, please contact Allen Manuel at allen.manuel@cookcountyil.gov.

Click here for Board of Review Exemption Policies

The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) grants, to qualified organizations, property tax exemptions.  In order to qualify for a property tax exemption, your organization must be exclusively beneficent and charitable, religious, educational, or governmental and own the property that is used exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, or governmental purposes and not leased or used for profit.  Being deemed as non-profit by the IRS does not automatically qualify an organization for a property tax exemption.

If you believe your property qualifies for exemption, you should apply to the Board of Review (BOR) with proof that the property should be exempt.

The Board of Review helps organizations by taking in all documentation in support of the exemption, assigning a field inspector to visit the property, reviewing all documentation provided and then making a recommendation to the IDOR.  The BOR may contact the organization to request more information or attend a hearing to testify to the property’s eligibility. The IDOR makes the decision on whether to grant or deny the exemption application.

The BOR accepts exemption applications for approximately 30 days, four times each year. You can find these dates by clicking on “Dates and Deadlines” above.

During one of the BOR’s four exemption filing periods, you must submit your complete exemption packet, which includes the original exemption application and all supporting documents. “The Board of Review has transitioned to a digitized exemption complaint submission process. Please note that all exemption documents must be submitted via the Board of Review Exemption Document Upload Center." Incomplete exemption packets will not be accepted and all documents must be submitted by the installment closing date.

A copy of both the BOR and IDOR applications, as well as the list of documents required for the type of property being appealed, can be obtained either at the BOR office or in the list provided below.  

For a checklist of required items, select your organization type:

For more information, please call 312-603-5586.