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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Mark Cohen |
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Property Tax/Rent Rebate applications due Dec. 31
Cohen warns: beware of scams – applying is free
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 8 – State Rep. Mark B. Cohen, D-Phila., is reminding residents the deadline to apply for the state's Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program is Dec. 31 and to beware of companies charging a fee to process the application.
"With the application deadline approaching, some unscrupulous businesses are sending official-looking mail offering to process a resident rebate form for a $39 fee," Cohen said. "One such mailing is from an out-of-state company, based in California, with no physical office in Pennsylvania except for a mail box in a Harrisburg copy shop. While the mailing looks official the smaller print says 'this is not a government document.'
"Applying for the program is free and no one should have to pay to apply. Your local state legislator or the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue will provide an application, help you fill it out, submit it to the state and check on the status of your rebate, all for free."
Cohen has filed a complaint about the deceptive letter with the Pennsylvania Attorney General and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. He urged any resident who received the letter to file a complaint as well.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General's office can be contacted by calling 800-441-2555. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General can be contacted by calling 1-888-877-7644 or by e-mail at hotline@uspsoig.gov.
Cohen said to be eligible for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program, residents must be 65 or older, a widow or widower 50 or older, or 18 or older with a permanent disability. Based on the property taxes or rent they paid in 2008, eligible Pennsylvanians can receive rebates of up to $650.
To qualify, household income for homeowners cannot exceed $35,000; the income limit is $15,000 for renters. However, 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. Seniors living in Philadelphia with incomes under $30,000 will have their property tax rebates increased by an additional 50 percent.
"A rebate on a senior's property taxes is particularly important during these difficult economic times, and I encourage constituents who may be eligible for the program to contact my office to get an application or for assistance completing it," Cohen said.
Residents can fill out the PTRR form online or request to have an application mailed to them, as well as check the status of a claim they have already submitted, by visiting the Web site www.PaPropertyTaxRelief.com or calling the Department of Revenue’s FACT and Information Line at 1-888-PATAXES (1-888-728-2937). Touch-tone telephone service is required. People without touch-tone telephone service may call 1-888-222-9190 between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. for assistance. All callers and Web site users will need their Social Security number and the amount of their rebate. Any legislative office of a state representative or state senator can also help with these forms.
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