From the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue

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 2015 and meet all other eligibility criteria.

The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975.

Due to program changes enacted in 2014 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 eligibility 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 $36,663, is encouraged to apply for a rebate for claim year 2015. 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 $15,713, is also encouraged to apply.

The Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program is one of five programs supported by the Pennsylvania Lottery. Since the program’s 1971 inception, older and disabled adults have received more than $6.1 billion in property tax and rent relief. The rebate program also receives funding from slots gaming.

Homeowners receive:

Income Maximum Rebate
$0 to $8,000 $650
$8,001 to $15,000 $500
$15,001 to $18,000 $300
$18,001 to $35,000 $250

Renters receive:

Income Maximum Rebate
$0 to $8,000 $650
$8,001 to $15,000 $500

In addition, the law gives the following relief to seniors in most need:

  • Seniors who live in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Scranton, where local wage/income tax rates are very high, will not benefit from a local tax shift to lower taxes on top of the reduction offered by the state funded property tax relief. To ensure that seniors in these communities receive significant property tax relief, each senior household with income under $30,000 has its property tax rebate increase by an additional 50 percent.
  • In addition, property tax rebates are increased by an additional 50 percent for senior households in the rest of state, so long as those households have incomes under $30,000 and pay more than 15 percent of income in property taxes.

Free Assistance

Property Tax/Rent Rebate 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.
For more information, contact 1-888-222-9190 or visit the PA Department of Revenue website. You can download or request an application here.
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