Confused by Philly’s property tax relief programs? Use this new tool to see which you’re eligible for.

Philadelphia homeowners can now apply for the city’s myriad property tax relief programs using a single online application.

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration this week launched the streamlined tool on the Philadelphia Tax Center website, allowing owners to see if they are eligible and submit applications for the homestead exemption; a property tax payment plan; the Senior Citizens Tax Freeze; the Low-Income Tax Freeze; and the Longtime Owner Occupants Program, or LOOP.

Philadelphia has strong property tax relief programs for low-income residents, helping seniors on fixed incomes and families in gentrifying neighborhoods avoid displacement.

But every year, thousands of eligible homeowners fail to take advantage of them due to lack of awareness or difficulties navigating complicated application processes. In some instances, homeowners enroll in one program without realizing they could be saving even more money by applying to a different one.

The city’s new tool is aimed at making it easier to navigate the byzantine process of figuring out how to enroll in those programs, which have different deadlines and eligibility requirements.

Revenue Commissioner Kathleen McColgan said about 80% of homeowners are currently taking advantage of relief programs.

“Creating a more streamlined application process will improve participation and reduce that gap,” she said in a statement.

Parker said the combined application is the first of many public-facing tools that will come out of her Better Services PHL initiative, which she established with an executive order on the day she took office in January 2024.

“Launching this project is the continued realization of the City’s commitment to improving resident service delivery,” Parker said in a statement.

Here’s what you need to know about the new property tax relief application tool.

First, visit the Philadelphia Tax Center at tax-services.phila.gov. Scroll down, click “Search for a property,” and enter your address.

Click on your address when the search result appears, then select “Apply for real estate assistance programs.” On the next screen, click “Apply for all Real Estate Tax assistance programs using a combined application.”

Now you’re in the new application tool. Follow the instructions and find out which programs you can apply for. You may need to have some documents handy, such as your ID, proof of residence, and proof of income.

Homestead exemption: This tax break is available to all Philadelphia homeowners, and it is the city’s most important property tax relief program.

The exemption lowers the assessed value of your home by $100,000. For instance, a person who owns and lives in a home assessed at $175,000 will only have to pay property taxes on $75,000 of that value.

If your home is worth less than $100,000, the homestead exemption effectively eliminates your property tax bill.

Real Estate Tax Installment Payment Agreement: Shocked by your new property tax bill? This program allows homeowners to pay it in installments rather than all at once.

All seniors are eligible, regardless of income. For homeowners under 65 years old, eligibility is subject to income requirements.

Low-Income Tax Freeze and Senior Citizen Tax Freeze: Both of these programs are designed to prevent Philadelphians from being forced out of their homes due to rising property taxes by freezing their tax bills so they stay the same year after year.

For seniors who apply to the program, your tax bill will be frozen at the amount you owed in the first year you were eligible to enroll — even if you did not apply at the time.

Income eligibility requirements apply to both programs.

Longtime Owner Occupants Program, LOOP: This program is targeted to people who are vulnerable to displacement due to gentrification.

Specifically, LOOP provides a tax break for low-income homeowners who have lived in the same home for at least 10 years and are seeing sharp increases in their property assessments.

If an eligible owner’s assessment increases 50% in one year or 75% over five years, LOOP freezes their assessed value at that level for as long as they remain eligible for the program. In some instances, the benefits may be minimal in the first year a homeowner enrolls in LOOP, but the savings add up over time as assessed values continue to rise.

Unlike the city’s two tax-freeze programs, LOOP applies to your property’s assessed value, not your tax bill. That means that your tax bill could go up or down if City Council and the mayor change the real estate tax rate, which is currently 1.3998% of taxable assessed value. In recent years, Philadelphia leaders have been reluctant to alter the rate, which has stayed the same since 2016.