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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Rick Taylor |
  
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Taylor notes Property Tax/Rebate application deadline extended to Dec. 31
HORSHAM, June 17 – State Rep. Rick Taylor, D-Montgomery, today advised district residents that the deadline to apply for Pennsylvania’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program has been extended to Dec. 31.
Eligible residents must be 65 or older, a widow or widower 50 or older, or 18 or older with a permanent disability. Rebates of up to $650 are available based on an applicant's property taxes or rent paid in 2007 and income.
To qualify, household income for homeowners cannot exceed $35,000; the income limit is $15,000 for renters. Applicants may exclude half of their Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, or federal Railroad Retirement Tier 1 benefits when determining eligibility, which allows some people with higher incomes to qualify.
Taylor noted that this year, some qualifying seniors may receive an even larger rebate. Senior citizen homeowners who are eligible for the program and whose income is less than $30,000 will receive an additional 50 percent rebate if the property taxes they paid in 2007 were at least 15 percent of their income. These seniors may qualify for a property tax rebate of up to $975.
"I urge every senior citizen or permanently disabled resident to look closely at the program and use this additional time to determine for sure if they qualify, and my office is at the ready to assist anyone with questions about the program or whether they may qualify," Taylor said. "There's still a significant number of citizens who would qualify, but don't apply."
The state will begin mailing out rebate checks after July 1 and any claims received after June 30 will be distributed as they are received and approved. Recipients also have the option of having the rebate deposited directly into their checking or savings account.
Residents may call the Department of Revenue’s FACT and Information Line at 1-888-PATAXES (1-888-728-2937) after July 1 to check the status of a claim; touch-tone telephone service is required. Callers will need their Social Security number and the amount of their rebate. People without touch-tone telephone service should call 1-888-222-9190 between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. for assistance.
Constituents are invited to call Taylor's constituent service office in Horsham at (215) 441-1030 for further information regarding the program.
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