Assessor's Office

No Renewal Requirement For Property Tax Exemptions This Year

Taxpayers who received property tax exemptions last year will not have to renew them this year thanks to a special pandemic-driven law.  Ordinarily, senior citizens eligible for the Senior Freeze have to renew their exemptions annually, as do people receiving disability exemptions.  This year, however, it will not be necessary to renew these and other property tax exemptions. 

The state legislature voted not to require tens of thousands of taxpayers to send renewal forms to government offices during the pandemic. Instead, for this year only, the Senior Freeze, Disabled Veteran and Disabled Person exemptions will be automatically renewed.  Also, auto-renewal of Homeowner and Senior Exemptions already in effect before the pandemic will continue.

What if I received an exemption last year but my eligibility has changed?  

In that case you need to contact the offices of the township or county assessor to ensure that you receive the correct exemption.  Those people most likely to need to do this are senior citizens with household income below the $65,000 eligibility threshold in prior years whose income is now above the threshold and disabled veterans whose level of disability changed compared to a prior year.  

What if I became eligible for an exemption last year?  

People who purchased homes in 2019 should receive Homeowner Exemption applications in the mail for tax year 2020 (payable in 2021), but other taxpayers (e.g., people who turned 65 in 2020 or became newly eligible for a disability exemption or the Senior Freeze) will still need to apply using the appropriate annual application form(s). The application deadline is March 31, 2021.

What are the eligibility requirements for senior exemptions this year?  Residents born in 1955 and earlier who used their New Trier Township home as a principal residence in 2020 are eligible for the Senior Citizen Exemption.

The Senior Freeze Exemption provides additional tax savings for low- to moderate-income seniors. To be eligible this year, the combined income of all people in the senior’s household must have been less than $65,000 in calendar year 2019, and the senior must have been an owner-occupant of the property since January 1, 2019.  

All exemptions will appear on the second installment tax bills that will be mailed in the summer.

Due to the pandemic, the township offices remain closed to the public, but Assessor Jan Churchwell and Deputy Assessor Leonard Shifflett are available to assist Monday-Friday via phone at (847) 446 -8200 or email jchurchwell@newtriertownship.com or lshifflett@newtriertownship.com

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Also, if you are not registered to receive “News” alerts and “Calendar” updates from the Township Assessor’s office, go back to the homepage, click on “Notify Me” and sign up.  Many important real estate tax dates, such as times to appeal, change from year to year.  If you are signed up online with our office, you will be notified of these important dates.


Jan Churchwell, New Trier Township Assessor
                                                            

C0VID-19 UPDATE-TEMPORARY OFFICE CLOSING-ASSESSOR’S OFFICE NEWS

Commencing Tuesday, March 17 the New Trier Assessor’s office will be closed to the public. During that period we will be taking calls during regular business hours at 847-446-8200.  You can always reach us via email:  jchurchwell@newtriertownship.comand lshifflett@newtriertownship.com.  


Stay well,

Jan Churchwell

New Trier Township Assessor








What We Do

In a Nutshell: Your New Trier Township Assessor's Office advocates for you with the Cook County Assessor's Office and the Cook County Board of Review. Additionally, we provide a broad range of services acting as a liaison for you with various County agencies.

Available Services

  • Assistance with preparing appeals for the Cook County Assessor, the Assessor's Re-Review and the Cook County Board of Review (and Re-Review)
    • We provide information about the various grounds for appeal
    • We file appeals for you at your request
  • Assistance with preparing appeals for the Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB)
  • Assistance with filing exemptions
  • Assistance with the Cook County Treasurer's Office
    • Obtaining refunds where applicable
    • Updating name and address information
    • Providing documentation to correct second installment tax bills that are missing valid exemptions
  • Sales and building permit information
  • Taxpayer of record information
  • Brief legal descriptions of a specific property
  • Information from the Plat Books ("Sidwell Maps")
  • Information from tax exempt properties
  • Tax rate information

Outreach Events

We are also available to do outreach events for your organization. We have a presentation we call "Your Annual Tax Calendar at a Glance," but will gladly tailor a presentation for your organization.

Cook County

Understanding Property Taxes

Who's who in the Cook County property tax system? Learn the ins and outs of the taxation process (PDF).

Contact Us

You can reach the New Trier Assessor's office at 847-446-8200. Deputy Assessor Leonard Shifflett and I look forward to serving you.

Jan Churchwell, New Trier Township Assessor

Additional Resources