Tax refund of up to $975 dollars: who will receive it and how to apply?

Some Pennsylvania residents may receive up to $975 through the Rental/Property Tax Refund Program, which is a bonus refund of property taxes or rent paid in the prior year.

This program is for Pennsylvanians age 65 and older, widows and widowers age 50 and older, as well as people with disabilities ages 18 and older.

Spouses, personal representatives, or heirs may also apply on behalf of claimants who lived at least one day in the year in which the refund will be claimed and met all other eligibility criteria.

In addition to meeting the requirement of belonging to one of the aforementioned groups, applicants must have an income limit within those established in the program:

It should be noted that half of Social Security income is excluded.

To request last year’s reimbursement, it is necessary to submit an application, which you can download and submit from the program’s web portal. This application is for the taxes and/or rents paid in the previous year; that is, 2022.

Previously, the deadline to apply for reimbursement was June 30, but it has been extended to 31 December, 2023. Once the application is approved, eligible individuals will be notified by automated call. Refunds began being distributed on 1 July. You can check the status of the return on the program website.

Refund amounts

The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for qualified homeowners can increase rebates to $975. Owners with these income limits receive:

Tenants with these income limits receive:

For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue website.

Proposal to Expand the Rent/Property Tax Refund Program to $1,000

State Governor Josh Shapiro has proposed expanding the program, implementing the following measures:

If the proposal is approved, nearly 175,000 Pennsylvanians will be eligible for the program, while many of the 400,000 people who already qualify will see their reimbursements nearly double.