Explanation of Program
Explanation of 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.
The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975.
The Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program is one of five programs supported by the Pennsylvania Lottery. Since the program’s 1971 inception, older adults and adults with disabilities have received $4.8 billion in of property tax and rent rebates. The rebate program also receives funding from slots gaming.
Homeowners now 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 now receive:
|
Income |
Maximum Rebate |
| $0 to $8,000 |
$650 |
| $8,001 to $15,000 |
$500 |
In addition, the law gives even more tax relief to the 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.
