You may need to request a Real Estate Tax refund if:
- You paid more tax than you owed.
- You were approved for the Longtime Owner-Occupants Program (LOOP) discount between 2014 through 2018. For Taxpayers approved in 2019, your credit is automatically applied to your 2020 Real Estate Tax liability, and it is non-refundable.
- Your 2014 property assessment is under appeal or was reduced as a result of an appeal.
While you can claim a refund for any of these reasons by completing this form, submitting an online petition is the fastest and most convenient way to claim a refund. A username and password aren’t required to submit an electronic petition through the Philadelphia Tax Center. All you need is your address:
- Go to tax-services.phila.gov
- Find “Search for a property” on the homepage and enter your street address.
- Select “Search.” Your property’s OPA number will appear in blue on the right side of this same screen. Select it and proceed to the next screen, where you can view a summary of your property account.
- If there’s a refundable credit on your account, you will see a blue “Apply for a refund” link on the right side of this screen. Select it and enter your entity type and relationship to the property
- Complete all sections on the “Property refund petition” screen and follow the onscreen instructions to submit your refund request.
Refunds are usually processed in six to eight weeks. Due to COVID-19 and higher-than-normal volume, please allow eight to 10 weeks for processing requests. We appreciate your understanding during this time.
LOOP discounts and 2014 assessment appeals
For refunds related to LOOP or 2014 property assessment appeals, your refund petition form should also include the reason you’re seeking a refund. To do this, write “LOOP” or “BRT appeal” on the form.
If your mortgage company paid your Real Estate Tax, you will also need to include a letter from the mortgage company, on their letterhead, granting you permission to apply for the refund.