Supervisor of Assessments

Our office assesses properties for residential, farm, commercial, industrial, and minerals. We administer all of the homestead exemptions, including owner-occupied, senior(over 65), senior freeze, veteran disability, returning veteran, disability, home improvement, and non-homestead exemptions as well. Address changes are handled in the Supervisor of Assessments office.

The Supervisor of Assessments is required by law to equalize all townships to 33.33% of market value. The County Assessor must calculate township medians using an adjusted 3-year average median level of assessments. The ratios are calculated by dividing the sale price of property by the assessed value of the preceding year. Using a complicated calculation process, an equalization factor is determined for each township.

The Supervisor of Assessments sends current year “Notice of Assessment Change” (for taxes payable the following year) to each taxpayer experiencing a physical assessment change. This notice should be read very carefully because it contains valuable and necessary information for taxpayers and, if necessary, complaint procedures. At this time the Supervisor of Assessments also publishes the changes made in assessments and a list of the township equalization factors applied to all non-farm assessments.

Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption

Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption provides for an annual $5,000 reduction in the equalized assessed value of the property that you own or have a leasehold interest in, occupy as your principal residence during the assessment year, and are liable for the payment of property taxes. If you are 65 years of age or older, you are eligible for this exemption on the property you own and occupy. NOTE: This exemption is often confused with the freeze exemption, which is based on your income; they are two different exemptions.

Please complete the form below and bring to the Assessor’s office, or email to assessor@richlandcounty.illinois.gov

PTAX-324 Application for Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption

Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption

The Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption allows to have your home’s equalized assessed value (EAV) “frozen” at a base year value and prevent or limit any increase due to inflation. Qualifications: taxpayer must be 65 or older, total household income is $65,000 or less, on January 1, at that year, used the property as your principal place of residence, — owned the property, or had a legal or equitable interest in the property as evidenced by a written instrument, or had a leasehold interest in the property used as a single-family residence, and — were liable for the payment of property taxes.

For more information or application, please call or visit the Assessor’s office. 

Homestead Exemption for Persons with Disabilities

The Homestead Exemption for Persons with Disabilities provides an annual $2,000 reduction in the equalized assessed value (EAV) of the property owned and occupied as the primary residence on January 1 of the assessment year by a person with a disability who is liable for the payment of property taxes.

For more information or application, please call or visit the Assessor’s office. 

The Returning Veterans’ Homestead Exemption

The Returning Veterans’ Homestead Exemption provides a $5,000 reduction in the equalized assessed value (EAV) of the veteran’s principal residence for two consecutive assessment (tax) years, the tax year and the following year that the veteran returns from active duty in an armed conflict involving the armed forces of the United States. The veteran must own and occupy the property as his or her principal residence on January 1 of each assessment year.

For more information or application, please call or visit the Assessor’s office. 

Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities (SHEVD)

The Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities (SHEVD) provides an annual reduction in the equalized assessed value (EAV) of a primary residence occupied by a veteran with a disability, or the veteran’s surviving spouse, on January 1 of the assessment year or on a prorated basis during the time of occupancy for the assessment year. If the veteran has a service-connected disability of 30% or more but less than 50%, then the annual exemption is $2,500; 50% or more but less than 70%, then the annual exemption is $5,000; 70% or more, then the residential property is exempt from taxation under this Code. Beginning with tax year 2015, the surviving spouse of a veteran killed in the line of duty can qualify for this exemption.

For more information or application, please call or visit the Assessor’s office.