Pennsylvania residents now have until December 31 to apply for rebates on property taxes or rent paid last year, after an extension was offered to give homeowners and renters more time to claim financial relief.
“There’s still a few weeks left to apply for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, and I hope every eligible Pennsylvanian will take advantage of this opportunity,” the state’s treasurer Stacy Garrity said in a statement reported by local news media.
“Treasury works as quickly as possible to process approved rebates to Pennsylvanians in need.”
Why It Matters
The deadline extension comes at a time when many in Pennsylvania are outraged by several local counties’ proposals to raise property taxes in 2026. The counties say the hikes are needed to fix budgetary gaps and avoid cuts to crucial services.
Property taxes have risen all across the country since the pandemic, climbing by 30 percent nationwide between 2019 and 2024, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. In Pennsylvania, property taxes are way above the national average, with homeowners paying an average annual property tax of $7,045 at an average tax rate of 1.409 percent.
What To Know
To qualify for the state’s rebates on property taxes and rent paid in 2024, residents must have owned or rented a home in Pennsylvania last year and have a yearly salary of less than $46,520. Applicants can exclude half of their Social Security income.
They must also be aged 65 and above, widows and widowers aged 50 and above, and people with disabilities aged 18 and above who meet the income limit are all eligible to apply for rebates.
If successful, they can expect to receive a rebate ranging from $380 to $1,000.
Homeowners making $31,010 or less whose property taxes exceed 15 percent of their income and qualified residents in Philadelphia, Scranton, and Pittsburgh are automatically issued supplemental rebates of between $190 and $500.
According to Garrity, the Pennsylvania Treasury has already paid out 502,163 rebates since it started issuing them this year on July 1, for a total of more than $307 million.
The rebates could help millions of people in the Keystone State: according to the latest data, Pennsylvania is home to almost 3.5 million residents aged 60 and older.
What People Are Saying
Bill Johnston-Walsh, state director of nonprofit, nonpartisan organization AARP Pennsylvania, which assists older Americans, said in a statement reported by The Keystone: “There’s going to be 175,000 more Pennsylvanians that are now eligible for this property tax and rent rebate program here in 2025. Last year, the program distributed over 522,000 rebates, totaling almost $320 million.”
What Happens Next
The Pennsylvania Treasury writes that, to date, “funding has been available to allow all who qualify to benefit from the program.”
Applicants can check the status of their rebates online here or call the Pennsylvania’s Department of Revenue at 1-888-PATAXES (728-2937).
The department warned of potential scams and advised never giving away bank details—something that the agency would never ask you over the phone.