Tax receipt: Save with Homestead and the Department of Revenue

If you own and live in your Philadelphia home and have not yet applied for Homestead Exemption, you are missing an opportunity to save hundreds of dollars on your property taxes! All you have to do is apply once to start saving money on your next bill.

Continue reading to learn how Homestead can give you access to great discounts on your property taxes.

The City of Philadelphia administers several property tax abatement programs designed to help homeowners pay their property taxes. Homestead Exemption is one of them.

It exempts $80,000 of the assessed value of your home from taxes on''real estate, saving you $1,119 annually. This is a huge relief that every Philadelphia homeowner should take advantage of, and the easiest way to do it is to apply online.

This is how the Homestead program works:Homestead reduces the amount of property taxes you owe by lowering the taxable value of your home. For example, if the assessed value of your home is $96,100 and you have a Homestead Exemption, $80,000 of that taxable value will be exempt from taxes. As a result, your property tax bill will only be $225 instead of the $1,345 you would owe if you didn't have Homestead.

Make sure you file now so the exemption is reflected in''Your property tax bill for 2024. It only takes a few minutes to apply online.

If your application is approved, you will not need to reapply for an exemption unless there is a change in your contract. The deadline to apply for Homestead is December 1.

To apply online, follow these steps:

1. Find the "Property Search" link under "Real Estate" on the Philadelphia Tax Center home page.
2. Enter your address and click "Search".
3. Your OPA property number will appear as a blue colored hyperlink on the right side of the screen. Select it to access your real estate account.
4. Then select the 'Apply for Assistance Programs' link'property owners' to access the next page and follow the instructions to submit your application.

You will not need a username and password to submit an electronic application for this program.

Not sure if you have Homestead? The easiest way to find out is to use the "Map Search" feature on property.phila.gov to search for your Homestead. Simply enter your address in the box and click on the magnifying glass icon to see if you have a Homestead.

The good news is that applying for Homestead is easy. Just follow''s above instructions to apply online. There are no age or income requirements, but you must own a home in Philadelphia and live in it as your primary residence to qualify for an exemption. You may even qualify for a conditional exemption if your name is not on the real estate contract.

Other ways to apply

In addition to applying online, you can apply on Homestead:

1. On the phone - by calling the Homestead hotline at (215) 686-9200, or
2. In the mail - by printing and completing this paper application. The application has been translated into seven additional languages. Please send the completed paper application to:

City of Philadelphia Department of Revenue
P.O. Box''52817
Philadelphia, PA 19115

When you are accepted into the program, you will automatically receive property tax rebates each year as long as you continue to own and live in your Philadelphia home. For more information, call us at (215) 686-9200.