FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 23, 2017

Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program Applications Now Available

Rebates for property tax or rent paid in 2016

Harrisburg, PA – Application forms for the Department of Revenue’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program are now available for eligible residents to begin claiming rebates on property taxes or rent paid in 2016.

It costs nothing to apply for a rebate, and the department reminds residents that applications and free filing help are available at no cost from Department of Revenue district offices, local Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers and state legislators’ offices.

Applications are also available online at www.revenue.pa.gov or by calling 1-888-222-9190.

Claimants must reapply for rebates every year because rebates are based on annual income and property taxes or rent paid each year.  Spouses, personal representatives or estates may file rebate claims on behalf of claimants who lived at least one day in 2016 and meet all other eligibility criteria.

The deadline to apply for a rebate on property taxes or rent paid in 2016 is June 30, 2017. Rebates will be distributed beginning on July 1, as specified by law.

More than $264 million in property tax and rent rebates have been sent to more than 554,000 homeowners and renters across the state for taxes and rent paid in 2015.

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.

Importantly, some applicants who previously received rebates may continue to qualify despite Social Security cost-of-living adjustments that may have pushed their income past the eligibility limits. This is explained in the instructions for the claim form.

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 and disabled adults have received more than $6.5 billion in property tax and rent relief. The program is funded by the Pennsylvania Lottery and revenue from slots gaming.

Media contact: Kevin Hensil, 717-787-6960

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