UPDATE (November 2, 2021): The City’s new tax filing and payment website, the Philadelphia Tax Center, is now live. From now on, please complete online returns and payments for most City business taxes on the new website. Check out our online tax center guide for help getting started and answers to common questions.
In its first two years, the Philadelphia Beverage Tax (PBT) allowed over 4,000 three- and four- year old children to access high quality early education and created 12 Community Schools serving 6,500 students. At the same time, the City has initiated the first of three borrowings to Rebuild parks, rec centers and libraries. The beverage tax has already made a substantial impact on the lives of vulnerable Philadelphia families.
PHLpreK, Community Schools and Rebuild are expanding further in 2019, and the Department of Revenue has now unveiled a new filing and payment website for PBT. Electronic filing and payment have been mandatory for PBT since the beginning, and this will continue being the norm.
Rebecca LopezKriss is the Department of Revenue’s Director of Strategic Outreach. She has overseen much of the PBT’s online implementation, including this upgrade. We asked her to explain what’s changing and why.
Why is the Philadelphia Beverage Tax filing and payment website changing?
The new website has an improved look and feel, and it works on mobile. In general, it’s a more robust platform that we’re very excited about. It’s kind of a preview of what the Department of Revenue is moving toward when it comes to electronic filing and payment for all City taxes.
The site will allow us to collect PBT more efficiently, but it’s also serving as a test case for future online tax services. We need to know what taxpayers need, so we’re really hoping to get a lot of user feedback.
What else is better about the new PBT site?
Maybe the best feature is that a user profile is separate from the PBT account itself. This gives businesses more flexibility and control when it comes to filing and paying.
Say you’re a business owner and have several staff who file and pay PBT, or have several locations that are filing different returns. Instead of sharing one login with all these different people, the new system allows different staff, or different locations, to file and pay on your behalf independently. This is the way it works: You create a profile and “Registers an Account.” You can then “Invite New Team Members” to be associated with the account, including your bookkeeper or CPA. It’s up to you as the owner to Manage your Team, setting tasks for each profile.
This new feature is also helpful if you’re a tax professional who manages several PBT accounts. From your single profile you can file and pay on behalf of different businesses, while keeping those businesses’ accounts separate. You will easily be able to see when payments are due, and if returns are missing or late for any of the accounts you manage.
The system also provides more automated responses on the manager dashboard and via email, which we think taxpayers will appreciate. For example, if you’re an account manager, you will receive an email notification when a contributor has filed a return and another notification when they’ve paid the balance.
If I’m a taxpayer with an existing PBT login, will it continue to work?
Yes, your existing Beverage Tax login will continue to work. There are a few accounts out there that didn’t give us all the information we need when they registered originally. So those users might get a pop up that asks them to fill in some fields. But for most folks, you’ll use your username and password as before.
Will I have access to my old PBT returns and balance records?
Yes, you’ll be able to see what you’ve filed and paid in the past. Future returns and payment history will also be archived.
What if I already have a Philadelphia tax account ID, but I’m new to PBT?
If you already have a Philadelphia tax ID the system will automatically link your new PBT account to your existing Philadelphia tax ID number. You won’t get stuck with two different tax IDs, and there is nothing extra that you need to do.
Why can’t I file PBT on paper, or pay the tax with a check?
The City of Philadelphia is committed to improving efficiency in our tax administration, and that means we’re transitioning a lot of our tax filing and payments to the internet, not just PBT. Electronic filing and payments reduce errors, and save taxpayer money and time. When you pay PBT, using eCheck is free. You can also enroll in the EFT-ACH program to make free and secure PBT payments to the City.
Who do I contact if I am having trouble registering or using the new site?
You can call our regular business tax helpline, which is (215) 686-6600. But we really encourage people to email revenue@phila.gov first. You can write all the specific questions you have in the email, and you won’t have to wait on hold. We have a two-day email return policy.
