PENNSYLVANIA TAXPAYERS CYBER COALITION

Dedicated To Equitable Tax Funding Of Pennsylvania Schools

Latest News

NEW! March 28, 2013 Update. The Property Tax Independence Act is formally introduced in the PA House and Senate. Details are here.

February 19, 2013 Action Item and Update. Here are two easy ways you can help to enact the Property Tax Independence Act NOW! Details are here.

NEW! How much is your 2013 school property tax relief from gambling revenues? The latest information is here.

What is your potential school property tax increase for 2013? The latest chart from the PDE is here.

Your home's equity is being stolen! How property taxes are reducing your home's value. Click here.

The brutality of tax eviction! A deputy sheriff speaks out. Click here.




June 2008 Rally Recap! Photos, video, media coverage. Click here.

* ACTION ITEM *
The Real Faces of the Issue. Click here.

STAY INFORMED! Please Subscribe to free PTCC e-mail updates. Click here. (pataxpayers@gmail.com)


Features

Personal Property Tax Independence Act Tax Calculator
Excel calculator to see your tax savings under the provisions ofThe Property Tax Independence Act. Now includes calculations for Philadelphia property tax reduction!

The Property Tax Independence Act Petitions
Sign an individual petition to demonstrate your approval of the The Property Tax Independence Act or distribute a multi-signature petition to really gather support! Print extra copies for your friends, family, and neighbors so they can help, too! Download the petitions as PDF files here.

Why school property taxes need to be eliminated!
Two excellent essays on the fallacy of property taxes for education funding.

Voice your opinion!
Visit the new PTCC Blog to add your thoughts and suggestions to recent PTCC updates.

The 2012-2013 Act 1 Index

What is the potential increase in your school property tax for 2012?

The Act 1 Index is the allowable percentage increase in millage (property taxes) for each Pennsylvania school district before exceptions or voter referendum. The index is determined annually by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) using an arcane formula that includes such factors as the average weekly wage, the federal employment cost index, and the market value/personal income aid ratio.

For the 2012-2013 school year the average increase in the Act 1 index for all Pennsylvania school districts is 2.3%; the largest increase is 2.7%, the smallest is 1.7%.

The allowable increase in the Act 1 index is not necessarily the actual amount of increase that may be imposed by your school district. Some districts that carefully control costs may be able to increase taxes less than the index, while others may apply for an exception by the PDE to raise taxes more than the allowable index or put the increase to a voter referendum.

The allowable 2012-2013 Act 1 increase for each Pennsylvania school district is available as an Acrobat (PDF) chart here.

Further information on the Act 1 index, including the list of items that will qualify a school district for an exception to the index, is available on the PTCC Act 1 page here.

Be aware that the Acrobat link connects to a PDF file. If you cannot view it, you may need to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader or Foxit Reader. The free Acrobat reader is available here. The much smaller and less intrusive free Foxit PDF Reader is available here. These links will open in a new window. If you are using an older version of Acrobat Reader you may receive an error message indicating that the file is corrupted. If this occurs please update your Acrobat software or use the Foxit Reader.


Please subscribe to the PTCC e-mail newsletter to receive up-to-date information about the PCTA School Property Tax Elimination Plan and suggestions for what you can do to help achieve its enactment. Click here.