Ogle County Supervisor of Assessments Ogle County Courthouse P.O. Box 40 Oregon, IL 61061 815-732-1150 voice 815-732-6273 fax

Click Here For Printout of HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FORM in PDF Format

This county department administers the property assessment cycle for the local real estate tax. Your local property taxes fund the operation of our schools, cities, park districts, libraries, township and county governments, and other agencies. Property taxes, unlike income or sales taxes, are based on the value of property.

Each township has an elected assessor that appraises property. The assessed value of the property becomes the tax base upon which local agencies levy taxes. In Illinois, a legal assessment is 33 1/3% of market value. The assessor does not determine how much your taxes are; rather, by placing a value on property, he/she is distributing the overall tax burden among all the property owners. The actual dollar amount of your tax bill is determined by how much money each local agency needs to operate. A list of Ogle County’s township assessors follows.

In most cases, your assessor places the initial assessment on your property. That information is then submitted to this office for processing, deducting exemptions, etc. Questions regarding buildings and other improvements should be directed to the appropriate township assessor. Your township assessor can also address any questions or concerns you may have about your assessed value.

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What Property Tax Exemptions Are Available?

There are a variety of property tax exemptions available to homeowners to help reduce their tax bills.  Most require that the property be residential, and be owned and occupied by the taxpayer.

There are additional exemptions for senior citizens, certain disabled individuals, certain disabled veterans, and veterans returning from active duty. 

The dollar amount of these exemptions changes almost yearly.  Some of these require a one-time application, others must be renewed every year. Further information about these  exemptions is available from the Ogle County Supervisor of Assessments. 

In addition to the above, there is a tax deferral program for seniors that is administered through the Ogle County Treasurer’s office.

The State of Illinois  also has certain grants and/or reimbursements for property taxes under their Circuit Breaker program.  This is administered by the Illinois Department of Revenue, and application should be made directly to them.

Shown below are the homestead exemptions administered by the Supervisor of Assessments office:

General Homestead Exemption (commonly called “owner occupied exemption”)

Senior Homestead Exemption (age 65 and over)

Senior Freeze Homestead Exemption (age 65 and over, income limitations)

Home Improvement Exemption (exempts increase in value due to improvements for 4 years)

Disabled Persons Exemption (requires state-certified proof of disability)

Disabled Veteran’s Exemption (requires certification of disability)

Returning Veteran’s Exemption (one time exemption for returning veterans)

All but the General Homestead and Senior Homestead Exemption require annual renewal.

See the Ogle County Treasurer’s office for the Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What if I think I’m over-assessed?
You should first contact your township assessor for an explanation of your assessed value. You may be able to come to an agreement on the proper assessment with him/her. If not, you should file an assessment appeal with the Board of Review, on forms available from this office. Assessment appeals must be filed within 30 days of publication of the assessment list in the newspaper. The Board of Review will hear your appeal and make a ruling. If you are dissatisfied with the Board’s ruling, you may appeal to the State of Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board.

How are tax bills calculated?
A property tax bill is calculated by multiplying the assessed value time the tax rate. Any homestead exemptions in effect serve to reduce the assessed value. The tax rate is determined by the budgets adopted by the local taxing districts your property resides in. The following example may help:

In this example, a house with a market value of $150,000 is assessed at 33 1/3% of value, or $50,000. The general homestead exemption reduces the taxable value. The tax rate of 8.50% is determined by the money requested by the school, city, county, parks, etc.   Generally, tax rates are slightly less in rural areas where fewer services are offered.

Why do taxes keep going up?
Your tax bill depends on two things: the spending of local taxing districts, and the assessed value of your property. Assessed values, in recent years, have increased annually, primarily in response to increasing prices in the real estate market. Property assessments are to be based on market value(s). When the real estate market goes up, assessments will follow. In addition, budgets and spending of local agencies (schools, cities, etc.) usually increase from year to year. These spending increases result in higher tax bills.

If you are concerned about rising property taxes, you should:

• Attend budget hearings of your local taxing districts (schools, cities, parks, etc.).

• Contact taxing authorities and their board members.
• Decide if you can live without services to keep taxes lower.
• Voice your concerns with your local legislators.
• Work for more efficient government.

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Related Links:
International Association of Assessing Officials (IAAO) www.iaao.org
Illinois Department of Revenue www.revenue.state.il.us/

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