HARRISBURG – Nearly 456,000 older homeowners, renters and people with disabilities across Pennsylvania will be issued rebates totaling $214 million, starting July 1, through the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program.
Property tax and rent rebate checks will be distributed by mail beginning July 1, and more than 163,000 homeowners and renters who opted to have rebates directly deposited into bank accounts should receive their rebates on Wednesday.
The deadline to apply for the rebate program was extended earlier this month to Dec. 31, and rebates will continue to be distributed as claims are approved through the rest of the year.
Applicants may obtain Property Tax/Rent Rebate claim forms (PA-1000) and related information online at www.revenue.pa.gov or by calling, toll-free, 1-888-222-9190.
It costs nothing to apply for a rebate, and free filing help is available at hundreds of locations across the state. Application forms and assistance are available at no cost from Department of Revenue district offices, local Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers and state legislators’ offices.
Claimants who already applied for rebates may check the status of claims online at www.revenue.pa.gov or by calling, toll-free, 1-888-PATAXES.
About the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program:
The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older.
The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters, and half of Social Security income is excluded. Spouses, personal representatives or estates may also file rebate claims on behalf of claimants who lived at least one day in 2014 and meet all other eligibility criteria.
Due to program changes enacted last year to ensure claimants aren’t disqualified from rebates solely because of Social Security cost-of-living-adjustments, homeowners and renters may be eligible for rebates even if their income is greater than these limits.
Any homeowner who collected Social Security, received a property tax rebate in 2013 for claim year 2012 and had annual income last year – discounting half of Social Security – up to $36,129, is encouraged to apply for a rebate for claim year 2014.
Any renter who collected Social Security, received a rent rebate in 2013 for claim year 2012 and had annual income last year – discounting half of Social Security – up to $15,484, is also encouraged to apply.
The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for certain qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975. The Revenue Department automatically calculates supplemental rebates for qualifying homeowners.
Since the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program’s 1971 inception, older adults and adults with disabilities have received more than $5.9 billion in property tax and rent relief. The program is funded by the Pennsylvania Lottery and revenue from slots gaming.
