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All of Illinois · Tax exemption

Solar Energy Systems Alternate Assessment (Property Tax)

Run by Illinois Department of Revenue (rules); your county's chief county assessment officer (claims)

Illinois homeowners with solar can ask the county assessor to value the home as if it had a conventional system, so the solar doesn't raise the property tax assessment. File a claim with your chief county assessment officer.

Open Checked Oct 28, 2026

Amounts

How much you get

The home is assessed two ways, as if heated or cooled by conventional means and with the solar energy system, and the lower value is used. The saving depends on how much the system would otherwise add to your assessed value and on local tax rates.

Eligibility

Do I qualify?

You need to meet all 3 of these.

  • Your home is in Illinois.

  • A solar energy system installed as an improvement on real property: solar collectors that convert sunlight into electricity (or heat or cool), with the electricity primarily consumed on the property. Systems under a power purchase agreement or lease with a third-party owner are included.

  • Doesn't apply to commercial solar energy systems.

Applying

How to apply

Follow these steps.

  1. Install the solar energy system.
  2. File a claim with your chief county assessment officer.

    Ask your county assessor's office (Supervisor of Assessments) for its solar alternate assessment application.

  3. Keep using the system.

    The lower valuation continues as long as the system is used; notify the chief county assessment officer within 30 days if you stop using it.

Forms and instructionsIllinois Department of Revenue PTAX-1004 (R-01/26): The Illinois Property Tax System · 35 ILCS 200/10-10 (Property Tax Code, solar energy system valuation) · 35 ILCS 200/10-5 (definitions)

Your address

Next steps

Check that it covers your address. Then, if you want, ask for a contractor quote.

FAQ

Questions

How much does Solar Energy Systems Alternate Assessment (Property Tax) pay?

The home is assessed two ways, as if heated or cooled by conventional means and with the solar energy system, and the lower value is used. The saving depends on how much the system would otherwise add to your assessed value and on local tax rates.

Is it still available?

Yes. It was open when we last checked, on October 28, 2026.

References

Sources

This page is built from these official pages, run by the program itself.

  1. Illinois Department of Revenue PTAX-1004 (R-01/26): The Illinois Property Tax Systemtax.illinois.gov · Read Oct 27, 2026 · Re-checked monthly
  2. 35 ILCS 200/10-10 (Property Tax Code, solar energy system valuation)ilga.gov · Read Oct 28, 2026 · Re-checked monthly
  3. 35 ILCS 200/10-5 (definitions)ilga.gov · Read Oct 28, 2026 · Re-checked monthly

When one of these pages changes, we re-check this page against it.

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