ALLENTOWN, PA — Pennsylvania officials on Thursday spotlighted what they described as the largest targeted tax cut for seniors in nearly two decades, as the expanded Property Tax/Rent Rebate program opened for new applications and continued delivering hundreds of millions of dollars in relief statewide.
The expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program under Gov. Josh Shapiro has already resulted in rebates totaling $314 million for more than 512,000 seniors, widows and widowers, and people with disabilities who applied last year, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.
Revenue Secretary Pat Browne joined state lawmakers Thursday at the Casa Guadalupe Center in Lehigh County to encourage eligible residents to apply for rebates on property taxes or rent paid in 2025. The Department of Revenue has begun accepting applications statewide.
The expansion marked the first major update to the program since 2006. Changes increased the maximum standard rebate to $1,000, up from $650, raised income eligibility limits for homeowners and renters, and indexed those limits to inflation. State officials said the adjustments reversed years of erosion that had pushed many seniors out of eligibility as Social Security benefits increased while program thresholds remained stagnant.
Before the expansion, officials said, many Pennsylvanians lost access to the rebate solely because modest cost-of-living increases pushed them over outdated income limits, despite continued financial strain from rising housing costs.
In Lehigh County alone, about 13,800 residents received nearly $9 million in rebates last year. Community organizations such as Casa Guadalupe play a key role in assisting seniors with filing applications and navigating eligibility requirements.
The Property Tax/Rent Rebate expansion is one of seven tax cuts enacted under Shapiro’s administration aimed at easing financial pressure on seniors, families, and businesses. Those measures include the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit, approved in the 2025–26 budget, which is expected to deliver $193 million in tax relief to roughly 940,000 residents this tax season.
Since its creation in 1971, the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program has delivered nearly $9 billion in property tax and rent relief to some of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable residents. The program is funded through gaming revenue.
Eligible applicants include Pennsylvanians age 65 and older, widows and widowers age 50 and older, and people with disabilities age 18 and older. Residents can apply online through the state’s myPATH system or learn more at pa.gov/ptrr.
State officials said Thursday’s event was part of a broader outreach effort to ensure eligible residents are aware of the expanded benefits and take advantage of the relief now available.
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