Are you 65 or older, a homeowner, and concerned about rising property taxes? Use the City’s Senior Citizen Tax Freeze to keep your bill predictable. The program “freezes” your Real Estate Tax bill. This way, your bill won’t increase even if your property assessment or the tax rate goes up. The best part? If your tax bill becomes lower, the City will lock in that lower amount instead.
But the program has an important feature you may not know about: You can freeze your bill based on a previous year’s tax amount. This is called a retroactive benefit. It can make a big difference for seniors who met all the requirements years ago but didn’t apply at the time.
What does “retroactive” mean?
Let’s say you turned 65 in 2021. Because you didn’t know about the Senior Citizen Tax Freeze, you didn’t apply. Since then, your property assessment may have increased, and your property taxes may have gone up.
If you met all program requirements in 2021, including age, income threshold, and occupancy, you can apply now to “freeze” your bill at the amount that it used to be in 2021, rather than the current year’s tax amount.
The City allows qualifying seniors to use the first year they became eligible, going back to 2018. You must provide proof that you met the age, income, and residency requirements for that year. Your Social Security statement or pension statement can help you prove your income. You can prove your age with a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or driver’s license.
Here’s the important thing to remember
A retroactive benefit doesn’t mean you’ll get a refund for every year you’ve paid taxes. Instead, the program lets you freeze your bill at a previous year’s amount. The goal is to protect you from future increases by using the appropriate eligible year’s tax amount.
Income and age requirements apply
To qualify you must,
- Be 65 or older, or
- Be over 50 and widowed from someone who was 65 or older, or
- Living with a spouse who is 65 or older,
You must meet the program’s income limit. You also have to own and live in the Philadelphia property as your primary residence. If you’re applying based on an earlier year, you should follow these income guidelines:
| Year you first qualified | Single | Married |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 – 2021 | $27,500 or less | $35,500 or less |
| 2022 – present | $33,500 or less | $41,500 or less |
Imagine you turned 65 in 2020. To use 2020 as your eligibility year, your income for 2020 would have had to be no more than $27,500 if you were single or $35,500 if you were married. Now imagine someone else turned 65 in 2023. That person would use the newer income limits: $33,500 for a single person or $41,500 for a married couple.
Apply before the deadline
Senior Tax Freeze applications are due on September 30 of each year. All it takes is a one-time application to keep your property taxes from increasing over time.
The fastest and easiest way to apply is online. You can use your phone or any mobile device. Use the “Search for a property” link on the Philadelphia Tax Center’s homepage and follow the prompts. You don’t need a username and password.
Seniors, here’s your chance to permanently stop your Philly property taxes from going up!
Questions? Call the (215) 686-9200 hotline to get all your questions answered. You can apply even if your name is not on the deed, whether you have a tangled title or a reverse mortgage.
