Save money on your property taxes now! Easy steps!

Property taxes in Chicago are a hot topic and can cost a pretty penny.  Photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty

Real estate attorney Patrick Loftus offers tips to make sure you are receiving your property tax exemptions. Read his guest post below! Reach out to Patrick anytime with real estate tax and legal questions.

I often come across people who are entitled to a homeowner or senior exemption on their tax bills, but they aren't getting one for some reason. So, I put together some instructions for them to check.

1. First, click here.
2. Next enter your address or PIN. If you get stuck at this stage, click here to send me an email, and I'll help you out, no charge.
3. Check to see if your property comes up. If that is your property, scroll down to the center of the page and look under the "exemptions" heading to see how many were applied last year.
4. If it is 0, and you live at the property, your bill should be lower. If it is 1, and you are 65+, then your bill should be lower.

It's as simple as that. If you are not getting all your exemptions, the solution is fairly simple. Click here to get the application for your homeowner exemption. If you are 65+, here is the link for the senior exemption. Fill out the proper form(s), sign it/them, and send it/them in with your supporting documentation.

If you have prior years where you should have received more exemptions than you did, you can submit something called a "Certificate of Error" and receive a refund. Click here to email me for more details on that.