Knox County Assessment Office: the veterans’ homestead exemptions and the September 30 filing window

The Knox County Assessment Office (Chief County Assessment Office, 309-345-3845) administers the veterans' homestead exemptions - the Disabled Veterans' Standard Homestead Exemption on PTAX-342 with the yearly PTAX-342-R renewal and VA proof, the Returning Veterans' Homestead Exemption on PTAX-341, the Disabled Veterans' Homestead Exemption for a specially adapted home applied for through the local Veterans' Affairs Office, and the Veterans Organization Freeze on PTAX-763 - with the requested deadline September 30 of each year, filed through December 31.

Also called: Assessment Office, Chief County Assessment Office, PTAX-342, PTAX-342-R, PTAX-341, PTAX-763, Disabled Veterans Standard Homestead Exemption, Returning Veterans Homestead Exemption, Disabled Veterans Homestead Exemption, Veterans Organization Freeze, 30 percent service-connected, September 30, 309-345-3845, Galesburg, Galesburg, Knoxville, Abingdon, Oneida, Wataga, Williamsfield, Yates City, East Galesburg, Rio, Altona.

For: Veteran or service member, survivor.

Where it applies

Written for the jurisdictions listed here.

Knox County, ILCounty

The exemptions are the State's (35 ILCS 200/15-165 through 15-169); see the Illinois entries. The Assessment Office's Exemptions & Applications page prints the county's own routes: "Returning Veterans' Homestead Exemption - A two year exemption for qualifying veterans who return from active duty in an armed conflict involving the armed forces of the United States. You must own and occupy the home to receive this exemption, and the veteran must file an application upon their return home." "Disabled Veterans' Standard Homestead Exemption - If you own and occupy your home and are a veteran with a service-connected disability certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs of at least 30%, you may be eligible to receive this exemption. An application must be filed by the homeowner every year, along with specific proof of the service-connected disability from the VA Department. If you just purchased a home, and have a service-connected disability, this exemption can be prorated starting the first of the month after you move into the home." "Disabled Veterans' Homestead Exemption - This exemption is only for a taxpayer that owns and occupies a federally-approved, specially adapted for the disability home. The application must be applied for through the local Veterans' Affairs Office." The page's Document Center posts the forms: "2026 PTAX-342 Disabled-Veterans" and "2026 PTAX-342-Renewal Disabled Veterans" (the renewal "VA Renew" form), "2026 PTAX-341 RETURNING VETERANS" ("Filed during the year you returned home from active duty in a war zone (proof must be submitted)"), and under Other Property Exemptions the "PTAX-763 - Affidavit for Veterans Organization Freeze". "The requested deadline to file your application on all exemptions is September 30 of each year, but you may file them through December 31." Questions go to the Township Assessor or the Chief County Assessment Office at 309-345-3845. The county also posts the veterans-organization side: PTAX-763 freezes the assessment of a veterans' organization's property under the same page.

Thresholds

Thresholds for Knox County Assessment Office: the veterans’ homestead exemptions and the September 30 filing window
Gate	Rule
At least a 30 percent service-connected disability	The Disabled Veterans’ Standard Homestead Exemption requires a service-connected disability of at least 30 percent certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs, applied for every year with VA proof on PTAX-342 and renewed on PTAX-342-R.
Returning veterans and specially adapted homes	The Returning Veterans’ Homestead Exemption is filed in the year the veteran returns from an armed conflict (PTAX-341); the Disabled Veterans’ Homestead Exemption for a federally-approved specially adapted home is applied for through the local Veterans’ Affairs Office.

Sources

Updated

Last updated 2026-11-02.

What changed then:

First published.

Request an update

Out of date, a broken link, or something else wrong? Say what you found, and an editor checks it against the official source.

Disclaimer

VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.