By state · Illinois
Illinois’s property tax exemption for disabled veterans.
70%+: first $250,000 of EAV exempt; $2,500/$5,000 tiers below that. Here is who qualifies, what it covers, and how to claim it.
Checked against state sources · July 16, 2026
- At a 100% permanent & total rating
- At 70% or higher service-connected disability, the first $250,000 of the home's equalized assessed value is exempt under the Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities (35 ILCS 200/15-169). The $250,000 cap took effect with tax year 2023; before that the 70%+ exemption was uncapped.
- Below 100%
- A 50 to 69% rating exempts $5,000 of EAV, and 30 to 49% exempts $2,500. Below 30% there is no SHEVD tier, though the separate returning-veterans and general homestead exemptions may still apply.
- Income test
- None. The exemption does not depend on your income.
- Surviving spouses
- An unremarried surviving spouse keeps the exemption, can transfer it to a new primary residence, and surviving spouses of WWII veterans qualify for a full exemption regardless of rating.
- How to apply
- File form PTAX-342 with your chief county assessment office, then the PTAX-342-R renewal each year. Some counties (Cook among them) auto-renew for veterans with static ratings; ask yours.
- Worth knowing
- EAV is roughly one-third of market value outside Cook County, so $250,000 of EAV shields a home worth around $750,000. Most Illinois veterans at 70%+ pay nothing.
Before you count on this: exemption law changes by legislative session, and counties administer the details. Confirm current amounts and deadlines with your county assessor or the official source below. Figures on this page were checked July 16, 2026.
Official source: Illinois Department of Revenue — property tax relief (PIO-74)
A property-tax exemption lowers the monthly payment a lender counts in your file, which can raise what you qualify for. Run your numbers with the exemption’s effect via the buying-power calculator (use the property-tax override in advanced options), and see the funding fee guide for the other big disability-related saving.
Still have a question?
Ask it. A real person reads every message and replies.