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Browne Details Tax Freeze Measure
Measure Would Cap Bills for Low-Income Property Owners
HARRISBURG -- Speaking
before a Special Session Committee on Legislation, state Senator Pat Browne,
R-16th District, today (November 15) detailed his legislation that would provide
a property tax freeze for low-income Pennsylvanians.
Under Senator Browne's
legislation, Special Session Senate Bill 28, the Department of Revenue would
work with local school districts to help low-income property owners under a
system patterned after the state Personal Income Tax Forgiveness Program.
“As the General Assembly has
proceeded with the Special Session on tax reform, we have heard the merits of a
number of proposals that would provide property tax relief,” Senator Browne
said. “However, Senate Bill 28 is somewhat different from the previous bills
because it is directly based on income and uses an established benchmark for
determining who would be eligible for assistance.”
The Personal Income Tax
Forgiveness Program is based on a graduated scale of relief that factors in
income and family size. The tax relief under the system starts at 100 percent
for the neediest families and increases in 10-percent increments for those with
somewhat higher incomes.
The income limits for each
level were increased for families with more dependent children. All told, the
Department of Revenue estimates that one of every four households in the
Commonwealth qualified for relief through the Personal Income Tax Forgiveness
Program.
“Using the information filed
by individual taxpayers, the Department of Revenue would provide funding to
school districts to allow for direct relief from property tax increases for
low-income families,” Senator Browne said. “The legislation effectively
institutes a school property tax freeze for eligible claimants by reimbursing
such individuals for school property tax increases.”
Under Senator Browne's bill, those who qualify
for Personal Income Tax Forgiveness would be eligible to receive the same
percentage of relief from any increase in their property taxes, up to a yearly
maximum payment of $500.
 
Sen. Pat Browne speaks at a Nov. 15 hearing of the
Senate Committee on Legislation, where he proposed a bill that would
create a tax freeze for low-income Pennsylvanians.
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