Provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services:
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State officials announced the deadline for older adults and Pennsylvania residents with disabilities to apply for rebates on rent and property taxes paid in 2017 has been extended from June 30 to Dec. 31, 2018.
“Last year nearly 600,000 seniors and people with disabilities benefited from the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program,” Gov. Tom Wolf said. “We are extending the deadline again this year because we want to be sure everyone who is eligible has time to submit their applications.”
Each year the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue evaluates the program as the statutory June 30 application deadline approaches to determine if funds are available to extend the deadline. To date, funding has been available to allow all who qualify to benefit from the program.
As of June 1, the department had received 472,564 rebate applications. As specified by law, rebate distributions cannot begin until July 1.
Because July 1 falls on a Sunday this year, rebates that have been processed and approved will be distributed to applicants via direct deposit on July 2. Other applicants who requested a paper check to be mailed to them — and whose applications have been processed and approved — should expect to receive their payment in the mail in early July. As a reminder, applicants are required to submit their bank account information on their application forms in order to receive their rebates through direct deposit.
After June 30, rebates will be distributed as claims are received and processed. Applications typically take 4-6 weeks to process.
“This program delivered more than $262 million to income-eligible seniors and people with disabilities who applied for rebates on rent and property taxes paid in 2016,” Revenue Secretary Dan Hassell said. “We want everyone to know that our staff is here to assist Pennsylvanians with their applications so that they can benefit from the program.”
Applicants may obtain Property Tax/Rent Rebate claim forms (PA-1000) and related information on the Department of Revenue’s website or by calling, toll-free, 1-888-222-9190.
It costs nothing to apply for a rebate, and the department reminds applicants that free assistance is available at hundreds of locations across the state, including Department of Revenue district offices, local Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers and state legislators’ offices.
Claimants who already applied for rebates may check the status of claims online at www.revenue.pa.gov by clicking on the “Where’s My Property Tax/Rent Rebate?” link. Claimants may also call, toll-free, 1-888-PATAXES to check the status of their rebates.
Click here to access the department’s Online Customer Service Center, where Pennsylvanians can find helpful tips and answers to commonly asked questions about the Property Tax/Rent Rebate 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 certain qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975. The Department of Revenue automatically calculates supplemental rebates for qualifying homeowners.
