Philadelphia’s older adults have until Sept. 30 to apply for the Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Freeze. According to the city’s Department of Revenue website, this freeze “will prevent your Real Estate Tax bill from increasing if you meet certain age and income requirements.” The city can also backdate that enrollment if an applicant is already 65 or older.

The freeze offers significant benefits for seniors. The tax bill of applicants approved for the program will remain unchanged in 2025 even if the senior homeowner’s property assessment or tax rate increased. And, if a property assessment or tax rate decreases, the homeowner’s real estate tax will also be lowered.

The city’s property search website allows people to find their home and estimate their tax bill with or without the program, depending on the year they became eligible. The good news is if applicants met age, income, and residency qualifications between 2018 and 2024, their tax rate will be the same as it was on the first year they became eligible.

To be eligible for the tax freeze, the site says, applicants must meet both age and income requirements.

Age requirements are: “a person aged 65 years or older, a person who lives in the same household with a spouse who is aged 65 years or older, or a person aged 50 years or older who is a widow of someone who reached the age of 65 before passing away.”

To meet income requirements, the homeowner must make “$33,500 or less for a single person, or $41,500 or less for a married couple.”

Additionally, senior citizens who live in a co-op should submit the special co-op application posted on the website and share their enrollment status with their building’s management.

Applicants must provide proof of income for the first year they are eligible. Real Estate Tax balances from a prior year will be adjusted to reflect the new frozen tax amount. However, applicants are not eligible for refunds on taxes paid in prior years.

The city says “The fastest and easiest way to apply is online through the ‘Search for a property’ link on the Philadelphia Tax Center site, under the ‘Property’ panel. Or, applicants can mail their application with proof of age and income (photocopies only) to Department of Revenue, P.O. Box 53190, Philadelphia, PA 19105.

Proof of age items can include birth certificates, marriage certificates, driver’s licenses, Social Security award letters, and any document that clearly shows a date of birth.

Proof of income items include Social Security (SSA, SSDI, SSI) award letters, pension statements, bank statements, retirement income or rental income statements, interest and dividends, pay stubs from a current employer, W-2 or state/federal tax returns (salary and wages of taxpayer and spouse), unemployment/workers compensation statements or award letters, child support and alimony, and any other documents homeowners believe will help make their case.

Wendy Rosenfield can be reached at Wendy@chestnuthilllocal.com.