Program Overview
In 2023, the City of Philadelphia looked to see if property values in the City had changed – this is called a re-assessment. If your home’s property value goes up, you will see an increase in your real estate tax bill.
A special fund has been set up to help people who own a home in Philadelphia and now have a higher real estate tax bill.
If your Real Estate Tax bill increased, you may qualify for a one-time credit (up to $500) that will be added to your real estate tax account. This account is located at the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Revenue.
The money will be used to pay your 2023 or 2024 tax bill or will be added to your City of Philadelphia Real Estate Tax Account as a credit for future tax years.
Don’t forget there are other programs in Philadelphia that can help you pay your real estate tax bill. You can check out the Homestead Exemption, Long Time Owner Occupant Program (LOOP), and the Low-Income Senior Real Estate Tax Freeze.
The application for this program will be available from November 8, 2023, at 8:00 am EST, and has been extended until January 31st, 2024, at 5:00 pm EST.
Additional Resources
For additional resources, please visit the following site – Plan of Action.
Join us on January 17th at 3pm (EST) for a webinar with the Greater Philadelphia Asian Social Services Center (GPASS). Register HERE!
NEED SUPPORT?
If you need help with this online application, please email us at pataxrelief@forwardplatform.zendesk.com or call us at 855-334-9513.
Eligibility Requirements
See a list of documents that can be used as Proof of Identification in the Required Documents Section below.
To see if you live within the City of Philadelphia, please visit THIS site.
FORWARD will verify this internally while reviewing the submitted application.
Even if your name is not on the deed of the property, you can qualify for this program if you have an equitable ownership interest (tangled title) such as:
- You inherited an interest in the property or have acquired the property from a family member, including a spouse of life partner.
- Entered into a long-term contract to purchase the property from the record owner, or
- Are a victim of a fraudulent deed transfer.
See a list of documents that can be used as Proof of Residency in the Required Documents Section below.
This eligibility requirement will be verified with a self-attestation from the applicant.
Applicants must not have an unresolved property tax increase appeal with the City, at the close of the application window, January 31, 2024. A self-attestation will be used in place of documentation to verify this.
For information in regards to the City of Philadelphia Property Assessment Appeal Process – please visit THIS website.
Must have a total income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
You may also view the City of Philadelphia household income limits HERE.
| City of Philadelphia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Household/Family Size | Per Month Income Max | Per Year Income Max |
| 1 | $5,208 | $62,500 |
| 2 | $5,950 | $71,400 |
| 3 | $6,696 | $80,350 |
| 4 | $7,438 | $89,250 |
| 5 | $8,033 | $96,400 |
Required Documents
The following documents will be used to verify the above eligibility.
Please provide one of the following documents:
- Passport
- National Identity Card
- Driver’s License
- Social Security Card
- Voter ID Card
- Residence Permit
- Birth Certificate
- Citizenship certificate
- Military ID
- Government Employee ID
- Refugee or Asylum Seeker Documents
- Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
Please provide one of the following documents:
- Recent utility bill (within 60 days)
- Mortgage statement
- Property tax bill
- Official government or city correspondence addressed to the applicant
Any document being submitted must be issued within the last 60 days of submitting the application in order to be valid.
If you are employed, please provide one of the following documents:
- Two consecutive check stubs
- Pension letter
- Verification of Government Benefits
- Current SSI/SSD Award Letter
- Proof of Unemployment
- WIC benefit letter
- SNAP benefit letter
If you are self-employed, please provide one of the following documents:
- Most recent tax return
- 1099
- Bank Statements
- Year to Date Profit and Loss Statement
If you claim no income, please provide:
- Federal Income Verification
Any document being submitted must be issued within the last 60 days of submitting the application in order to be valid.
You can store documents in your profile so that you can easily find them to include in your applications. These file formats are supported: .doc, .docx, .gif, .jpeg, .jpg, .pdf, .png, .xls, and .xlsx
Frequently Asked Questions
The City of Philadelphia website allows you to easily look up detailed property information. You can review your property tax bill, payment options, tax exemptions, and more.
Even if your name is not on the deed of the property, you can qualify for this program if you have an equitable ownership interest (tangled title) such as:
- You inherited an interest in the property or have acquired the property from a family member, including a spouse of life partner.
- Entered into a long-term contract to purchase the property from the record owner, or
- Are a victim of a fraudulent deed transfer.
The amount an individual receives is based on their 2022/2023 property tax assessment, with a maximum of $500. If their tax assessment increase is less than $500, they’ll receive that lower amount.
Only the owner of the property can apply for this program, this also includes if you have an equitable ownership interest:
- Inherited an interest in the property or have acquired the property from a family member, including a spouse or life partner.
- Entered into a long-term contract to purchase the property from the record owner, or
- Are a victim of a fraudulent deed transfer.
All real estate tax appeals must be resolved to qualify for this relief program.
Yes, at the time of application, your household must meet the 80% or below Area Median Income (AMI) threshold. To see if you are under the 80% AMI, please visit THIS website.
Yes, income verification will be required for applications being submitted. Some forms of income verification will include pay stubs, pension letter, verification of government benefits, current SSI/SSD Award Letter, Proof of Unemployment, WIC benefit letter, and/or SNAP benefit letter.
For self employed individuals, you will be asked to submit your most recent tax return, 1099, bank statements, or profit and loss statement to show income.
Yes, qualifying applicants must live within the City of Philadelphia and occupy the home. You will verify this by submitting a recent utility bill (within 60 days), mortgage statement, property tax bill, or an official government or city correspondence addressed to the applicant showing your name and address.
If there are a greater number of applicants than there are funds available, eligible applicants will be chosen through a random lottery selection. A random lottery selection will ensure that all eligible applicants have an equal chance of being selected. This selection process will be based solely on chance, without considering factors like race, gender, or neighborhood.
The application window will be open on November 08, 2023, and will remain open until January 31, 2024
Denial of applications can result from:
- Altered or Forged Documentation
- Duplicate Application
- Untrue or Misleading Information
- Physical address is outside City of Philadelphia
- Application does not meet eligibility requirements
- Applicant is unresponsive
A printable paper application is available here. This application is available in multiple languages. If you do not have access to a printer, contact your Council person for help in obtaining a paper application.
You can find contact information for City Council here: https://phlcouncil.com/
If you filled out a paper application, it must be received by the Department of Revenue by January 31, 2024. Please mail it to the below address.
Philadelphia Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 53190
Philadelphia, PA. 19105
Once an application is approved, the applicant has nothing further to do. The credit will be applied to your City of Philadelphia Real Estate Tax Account, by the City of Philadelphia. You can keep your application approval email for reference.
If you need help with this online application or have a program question, please email pataxrelief@forwardplatform.zendesk.com or call us at 855-334-9513.
FORWARD is a technology company that powers the application portal. FORWARD offers application services for programs such as this nationwide. The City of Philadelphia has partnered with FORWARD to manage the application process for the City of Philadelphia Real Estate Tax Relief Program.
Yes, the FORWARD platform is available and supports 68 languages. In order to view the application in your preferred language, select the globe icon at the top right of the page while logged into the FORWARD portal. The globe icon is labeled “English.” Once you click the icon, select which language you prefer from the list.
FORWARD is committed to protecting your privacy and will never share or disclose your information without your consent. Read FORWARD’s Privacy Policy.
You must create an account to apply for a City of Philadelphia Real Estate Tax Relief Program. You can create your account following these simple steps:
- Go to City of Philadelphia Real Estate Tax Relief Program
- Select “Create an individual account”
- Enter the applicant’s name and a valid email address that you can access
- Once you click “Create Account” you will receive an email with a link to set your password
- Select the link in your email and set your secured password
- Once you set your password, you can login and complete the application!
FORWARD Online Application Tutorials
FORWARD Online Application Tutorials
Program Partners
The City of Philadelphia and FORWARD are partnering with local community organizations to help you apply to the Philadelphia Real Estate Tax Relief Program.
Once you open the map:
- Type “RCO” in the Filter bar
- Select Registered Community Organizations (RCO) just below the Filter bar
- Begin clicking within the dedicated area on the map to view and get information for the RCOs in that area.
Please click HERE to view the City of Philadelphia map that provides information in regards to the Registered Community Organizations.
For more information in regards to the approved City of Philadelphia RCOs, please visit the following site – City of Philadelphia Registered Community Organizations (RCOs).
To share information about this program with your community, download FORWARD’s English Outreach Toolkit HERE and Spanish Outreach Toolkit HERE.
FORWARD is administering the City of Philadelphia Real Estate Tax Relief Program on behalf of the City of Philadelphia.
ABOUT FORWARD
FORWARD is the leading Integrated Program Administration solution that incorporates all essential components, people and technology into a single streamlined workflow to effectively, securely, and equitably administer critical resources to help communities thrive.
FORWARD has extensive experience administering all kinds of programs across the nation and can process applications at scale, prevent fraud, securely process payments, and provide reporting that meets City requirements.