STEELTON, PA, June 26, 2024 — Governor Josh Shapiro and Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne visited the Hoy/Latsha Senior Center in Dauphin County to announce that rebates on property taxes and rent paid in 2023 as part of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program will start to be distributed on Monday, July 1, 2024, as required by law.
The rebates are being distributed to an initial wave of over 442,000 older homeowners, renters, and people with disabilities across Pennsylvania, including 9,000 people in Dauphin County, totaling $266 million – significant increases from last year, when 283,468 homeowners were issued rebates totaling nearly $132 million.
Last year, Governor Shapiro signed into law a historic expansion of the PTRR program, making good on the commitment he made to Pennsylvania seniors and people with disabilities during his campaign and in his first budget address to ease the burden of rising costs.
“The Property Tax Rent Rebate program is a lifeline for Pennsylvania seniors and people with disabilities, and we passed the largest targeted tax cut for our seniors in nearly two decades to expand this program to help put money back in their pockets,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “I made a promise to Pennsylvanians to cut costs for them, and we delivered in a bipartisan manner – and as a result, rebates will begin going out to more than 442,000 Pennsylvanians all across the Commonwealth starting on Monday. But there are at least 125,000 more Pennsylvanians who are eligible but haven’t applied yet – and we want everyone (who is eligible) to get this money, so we have extended the application deadline to December 31. If you qualify but haven’t yet applied, go to pa.gov/PTRR to apply now.”
Applicants who submit their bank account information on their application forms will receive their rebates through direct deposit. Applicants who requested a paper check to be mailed to them should expect to receive their payment in the mail.
After the initial distribution of rebates on July 1, rebates will be distributed as claims are received and processed. The deadline for older adults and Pennsylvanians with disabilities to apply for rebates on rent and property taxes paid in 2023 was recently extended to December 31, 2024.
“On behalf of the entire team in the Department of Revenue, I’m proud to be here with Governor Shapiro to talk about a very important initiative and his leadership on behalf of all the seniors here in Pennsylvania,” said Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne. “For Governor Shapiro, not having this program updated in over 20 years, and having that many seniors no longer receiving it was unacceptable. Because of his leadership, working with the General Assembly, we will now see another round of having more than 550,000 claimants of the program.”
The Department of Revenue has already processed and approved 93% of PTRR applications for payment. The remaining claims yet to be approved either have errors or may require more information – if you receive outreach from DOR, Pennsylvanians are encouraged to respond as soon as possible to get their application approved so they can receive their rebate in a timely manner.
During the announcement, Governor Shapiro and Secretary Browne were joined by Representative David Madsen, Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the County of Dauphin Leah Eppinger, and Elizabeth Bryant, head of the Hoy Towers resident advisory board.
For more information and to access PTRR forms/instructions, visit pa.gov/ptrr or call 1- 888-222-9190 for assistance, and https://www.revenue.pa.gov/IncentivesCreditsPrograms/PropertyTaxRentRebateProgram/Pages/PTRR-Lookup.aspx to view the new lookup tool to find in-person assistance.
For more information on how Governor Shapiro’s budget will cut costs for Pennsylvanians,
https://www.shapirobudget.pa.gov/2024-25budget/#cutting
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