Applications now open for state program

Application forms for the state’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program are available for eligible Pennsylvania residents looking to claim rebates on property taxes or rent paid in 2019, Revenue Secretary Dan Hassell announced.

The deadline to apply for a rebate is June 30, 2020.

“More than half a million seniors and people with disabilities save on the rent or property taxes they paid by receiving a rebate through this program,” Hassell said in the press release. “We want to encourage everyone who is eligible to apply so that they can benefit from the program.”

How to Apply

Property Tax/Rent Rebate claim forms (PA-1000) and related information can be obtained on the Department of Revenue’s website or by calling 1-888-2229190.

It’s free to apply for a rebate, according to the PA Department of Revenue, and the department said free assistance is available for applicants at hundreds of locations statewide, including Department of Revenue district offices, local Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers and state legislators’ offices.

Residents filing claims must reapply every year for rebates, because they are based on annual income and property taxes or rent paid for each year.

Spouses, personal representatives or estates may file rebate claims on behalf of claimants who lived at least one day in 2019 and meet all other eligibility criteria.

About the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program

The program benefits eligible Pennsylvania residents age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The income limit for homeowners is $35,000 annually and $15,000 a year for renters, and half of Social Security income is excluded.

The maximum standard rebate is $650, the department said, but additional rebates can boost rebates to $975 for certain qualifying homeowners, the department said. Supplemental rebates are automatically calculated by the Revenue Department for qualifying homeowners.

More than $255 million in property tax and rent rebates were sent to nearly 532,000 homeowners and renters statewide for property taxes and rent paid in 2017, the department said.

Since the program’s start in 1971, an estimated $6.8 billion has been paid to qualified applicants, ac

cording to the department. The program is funded by the Pennsylvania Lottery and revenue from slots gaming.

When can you expect your rebate?

Rebates will be distributed beginning July 1, as required by law. The department will start processing the 2019 Property Tax/Rent Rebate claims forms (PA-1000s) in late April. The department reminds applicants that there will be no information available on their claims until that time.

The department provided the following additional information for applicants:

Residents which provide their phone numbers on their Property Tax/Rent Rebate application forms will receive an automated call from the Department of Revenue when their claim posts to the department’s processing system, and another automated call when the claim is approved.

The easiest way to check the status of a rebate is to visit the Department of Revenue website “Where’s My PA Property Tax/Rent Rebate?” Applicants can also call the automated toll-free number, 1-888-PATAXES (728-2937).

To check on the status of a claim, residents will need to provide their:

• Social Security number • Claim year

• Date of birth

For more information, please visit the PA Department of Revenue online at https://www.revenue.pa.gov.