Will County Property Tax Exemptions and How to Apply

Will County property tax exemptions can take thousands of dollars off your bill each year, and because Will County borders Cook County, several of them pay out at higher amounts than in most of Illinois. You claim them by filing the right PTAX form with the Will County Supervisor of Assessments, with supporting documents that prove you qualify. The General Homestead Exemption alone reduces your home’s equalized assessed value by $8,000, and seniors, veterans, and homeowners with disabilities can stack additional reductions on top of that.

General Homestead Exemption

If you own and occupy your home as your primary residence on January 1 of the tax year, you qualify. The reduction comes off your property’s equalized assessed value (EAV), which is roughly one-third of market value after the state equalization factor is applied.1Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200/15-175 – General Homestead Exemption

The amount depends on how close your county is to Cook County. Counties contiguous to Cook get $8,000, and Will County shares a border with Cook, so $8,000 is the figure that applies here. Many online guides repeat the $6,000 number meant for counties farther out. Don’t shortchange yourself.1Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200/15-175 – General Homestead Exemption

People who occupy a home under a leasehold interest can also qualify, provided the lease makes them liable for property taxes and both the owner and the lessee submit a notarized application each year.2Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200/15-175 – General Homestead Exemption

Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption

Homeowners who turn 65 by December 31 of the tax year get an additional $8,000 reduction in EAV on their primary residence, again higher than the $5,000 that applies in counties farther from Cook.3Will County Supervisor of Assessments. PTAX-324 Senior Citizen Exemption

Moving into a nursing home or assisted living facility does not automatically end the exemption. It continues as long as you still own the property and either your spouse (age 65 or older) remains in the home, or the home stays unoccupied.4Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200/15-170 – Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption

Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze

This one works differently from a flat dollar reduction. Instead of a set amount off, it locks your EAV at the level it was the year before you first applied. Local values can climb and your taxable base stays frozen. Tax rates can still move with local budgets, but the value they’re applied to holds steady.5Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200/15-172 – Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption

You must be 65 or older, own and occupy the home as your principal residence, and have total household income at or below the statutory limit. For tax year 2026 the limit is $75,000, up from the $65,000 cap that applied through 2025. It rises to $77,000 for 2027 and $79,000 for 2028 and beyond. Total household income includes Social Security, pensions, interest, and essentially all other income for everyone living in the home.6Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200/15-172 – Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption

If you sell your home and buy a new one, the freeze does not transfer. You reapply at the new property, and the base year resets to the year before you qualify at the new address. The Will County Board of Review handles approval of assessment freeze exemptions.7Will County. Will County Board of Review

Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program

If exemptions still leave the bill out of reach, Illinois offers a separate program that is not an exemption but a state-backed loan. The state pays your property tax bill, and you repay the deferred amount with 3 percent simple interest per year when the property is sold or transferred, or within one year of your death.8Illinois Department of Revenue. Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program (PIO-64)

To participate for 2026, you must be at least 65 by June 1, have total household income of $77,000 or less, and have owned and occupied the home for at least three years. You cannot have delinquent taxes or lack adequate fire insurance. The maximum annual deferral is $7,500, and the total deferred (including interest and lien fees) cannot exceed 80 percent of your equity. A surviving spouse who is at least 55 can continue the deferral.8Illinois Department of Revenue. Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program (PIO-64)

The filing window is January 1 through March 1 each year, and you file with the Will County Collector, not the Supervisor of Assessments. It is an annual application, so you reapply every year you want to defer.

Exemptions for Veterans with Disabilities

Veterans with a service-connected disability certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs get a homestead reduction that scales with the disability rating:

  • 30% to 49% disability: $2,500 annual reduction in EAV
  • 50% to 69% disability: $5,000 annual reduction in EAV
  • 70% or higher disability: the first $250,000 of EAV is exempt from property taxes

Some county websites describe the top tier as a complete exemption, but the statute caps it at $250,000 in EAV. For most Will County homes that eliminates the tax bill in practice, but owners of higher-valued properties still owe tax on EAV above $250,000.9Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200/15-169 – Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities and Veterans of World War II

Surviving Spouse Benefits

When a disabled veteran dies, the exemption carries over to a surviving spouse who holds title, continues living in the home, and does not remarry. If the surviving spouse sells and buys a new primary residence, the exemption amount from the most recent tax roll can transfer, again provided the spouse does not remarry. Even if the veteran never applied before death, the surviving spouse may still qualify if the veteran would have been eligible or was killed in the line of duty.10FindLaw. Illinois Code 35 ILCS 200/15-169 – Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities and Veterans of World War II

Returning Veterans’ Homestead Exemption

Veterans returning from active duty in an armed conflict get a $5,000 reduction in EAV. Since 2010 the exemption runs for two consecutive tax years: the year the veteran returns and the following year. If you buy your first home after January 1 of the year you return, you can apply the exemption to the next tax year instead. It cannot be renewed after the two-year window closes.11Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200/15-167 – Returning Veterans Homestead Exemption

Persons with Disabilities Homestead Exemption

Homeowners with a disability receive a $2,000 annual reduction in EAV on their primary residence. You must be an owner of record or hold a legal or equitable interest in the property. This exemption cannot be combined with the Veterans with Disabilities exemption in the same tax year, so veterans should compare the two and claim whichever is larger.12Illinois Department of Revenue. Property Tax Relief – Homestead Exemptions, PTELL, and Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program

Homestead Improvement Exemption

Renovate your home and the added value shows up on the next assessment, raising your tax bill. The Homestead Improvement Exemption shields you from that increase for up to four years after the work is completed and occupied. It covers up to $75,000 in fair cash value added by the improvement, which translates to roughly $25,000 in EAV.12Illinois Department of Revenue. Property Tax Relief – Homestead Exemptions, PTELL, and Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program

Qualifying work includes structural changes that increase value, such as adding a room, finishing a basement, or rebuilding after a catastrophic event like a fire. The exemption is limited to the value actually added, so a $15,000 kitchen remodel receives a $15,000 fair-cash-value reduction rather than the full $75,000 cap. The four-year clock starts when the improvement is completed and occupied, or runs until the next general reassessment, whichever comes later.13Illinois General Assembly. 35 ILCS 200/15-180 – Homestead Improvements

Homes Held in a Trust

If your home sits in a revocable living trust, you can still qualify. The requirement is that you keep a legal or equitable interest in the property, which a revocable trust typically satisfies because you still control and can revoke it. The statute specifically recognizes legal or equitable ownership for the General Homestead Exemption.12Illinois Department of Revenue. Property Tax Relief – Homestead Exemptions, PTELL, and Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program

If you transfer your home into a trust after already receiving an exemption, contact the Supervisor of Assessments to confirm it stays in place. You may need to provide a copy of the trust document to prove you retain occupancy rights and beneficial ownership.

How to Apply

Each exemption has its own form filed with the Will County Supervisor of Assessments. Using the wrong form slows everything down.

Download forms from the Will County Supervisor of Assessments website or pick them up at the office at 302 N. Chicago Street in Joliet, IL 60432.14Will County Supervisor of Assessments. Will County Supervisor of Assessments

Supporting documentation depends on the exemption. A valid Illinois driver’s license or state ID showing the property address is standard for proving residency and, for senior exemptions, age. The assessment freeze requires records of total household income: Social Security statements, pension documents, and interest or investment earnings. Veterans should have DD-214 discharge papers and VA disability certification ready. For the disability exemption, a physician’s statement or Social Security Administration disability award letter establishes eligibility.

Deadlines

For most exemptions in counties with fewer than 3,000,000 residents, which includes Will County, the statutory deadline to submit an initial application is July 1 of the tax year. Will County may set a different deadline by ordinance, so check with the Supervisor of Assessments for the current year’s specific date.15Will County Supervisor of Assessments. Will County Supervisor of Assessments – Exemptions

You can submit applications by mail to the Joliet office or through the county’s online portal. Renewal notices for existing exemptions go out in early spring, and missing the return date on that notice can cost you the exemption for the entire year. Once approved, the exemption usually appears as a credit on the second installment of your property tax bill, which arrives in the later months of the year.

The Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program runs on its own schedule, with applications due between January 1 and March 1, filed with the county collector.8Illinois Department of Revenue. Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program (PIO-64)

If You Missed a Prior Year

Homeowners who were eligible but failed to apply in a prior year may be able to recover the lost savings. In Will County, the Board of Review has authority to revise assessments and hear complaints about exemption decisions.7Will County. Will County Board of Review

Contact the Supervisor of Assessments as soon as you realize you missed a year. You’ll need documentation proving you were eligible during the tax year in question, such as an ID showing the property address and proof of age or disability status as of January 1 of that year. The earlier you catch the error, the better your chances of recovering the missed reduction.