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Real Estate Taxes
The State College Borough Tax Office is open for in-person assistance from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Our office is located on the 1st floor of the State College Borough Municipal Building. Please follow signage posted on the doors of our front and rear entrances regarding COVID-19 protocols. If you do not need in-person assistance, please contact our office by phone at (814) 278-4708, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm, or by email at tax@statecollegepa.us.
Drop boxes are located inside the vestibules of our front and rear entrances. Please use these secure drop boxes after hours for submitting tax payments and/or correspondence to the tax office. It is important that you place your item inside an envelope prior to using the drop box.
Real estate taxes are based on the assessed value of your property, as determined by the Centre County Board of Assessment. The County, School District, and Borough each levy taxes on real estate. Centre County's tax is paid to the Centre County Tax Office, Willowbank Building at:
420 Holmes Street
Bellefonte, PA 16823
Their telephone number is 814-355-6805.
Borough & School District
Borough and School District real estate taxes for properties located within the State College Borough are paid to the State College Borough Tax Office. If payment is made within the first two months after the billing date, a 2% discount is allowed. Payments made during the following two months are due at face value. A 10% penalty is assessed on payments made more than four months after the billing date.
Installment Payment Options
Installment payment options are now available for the State College Area School District Real Estate Taxes. Effective July 1, 2007, residential homeowners may be eligible for installment payments. Contact the State College Area School District for more information.
Tax Bills
Tax bills are mailed to the last known address of the property owner. It is the taxpayer's responsibility to notify the County Board of Assessment of any name and/or address changes. If taxpayers have misplaced the name and address correction form provided with their tax statements, the Borough tax office can be contacted to provide a substitute change form. Failure to receive a tax bill does not relieve the taxpayer of responsibility for paying taxes on time.
If you have other questions regarding the real estate tax, contact the Tax Office in the State College Municipal Building.
Act 57 - Property Tax Penalty Waiver
Pennsylvania (PA) Act 57 of 2022 (effective January 1, 2023) allows new property owners who fail to receive a tax notice within their first year of ownership to apply for a waiver from penalties and additional costs from the tax collector. The taxpayer is responsible for requesting the waiver from the tax collector by completing the required form (linked below).
Request for Waiver of Additional Charges: Real Estate Taxes
PA Act 57 of 2022 (Legislation)
Municipal and School District real estate tax waiver requests should be submitted to the State College Borough Real Estate Tax Office for properties located within the State College Borough. County waiver requests must be submitted to the Centre County Tax Office for properties located within the State College Borough. Contact information is noted below for both the State College Borough Tax Office and Centre County Tax Office.
State College Borough Tax Office 243 S Allen St State College PA 16801 Phone: (814) 278-4708 Fax: (814) 234-7148 Email: tax@statecollegepa.us Centre County Tax Office 420 Holmes St Bellefonte PA 16823 Phone: (814) 355-6805 Email: tcc@centrecountypa.gov
Important Notice for Homeowners in the Borough of State College
In 2006, the State College Borough Council enacted a property tax Homestead Exclusion which results in a reduction of Borough property taxes on qualified owner-occupied dwellings used as the owner's primary residence. Please note that the Homestead Exclusion is not automatically granted to homeowners. In order to qualify for the exclusion, homeowners must complete and file an "Application for Homestead and Farmstead Exclusions" with the Centre County Assessment Office on or before the last day of the calendar year. For example, to be considered for a 2013 exclusion, an eligible homeowner must file a valid application with the Assessment Office on or before December 31, 2012. Eligible Homeowners are encouraged to apply for the Homestead Exclusion. You may contact the Assessment Office at:
- Centre County Tax Assessment Office
Willowbank Building
420 Holmes Street
Bellefonte, PA 16823 - Phone: 814-355-6721
Centre County Application for Homestead &Farmstead Exclusions
To receive a homestead or farmstead exclusion, a Pennsylvania resident must submit an application to the county assessor prior to March 1. School districts are required to send an application to all non approved, eligible property owners 60 days prior to the March 1 application deadline.
Legal Responsibility
Please keep in mind that taxpayers are legally responsible for notifying the county if a portion of their residence is used for commercial purposes such as a rental or home office or if they no longer use the property covered by the application as their primary residence. This requirement is explained on the "Application for Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion."
It is important to note that the reduction does not currently apply to Centre County property taxes.
State College Area School District Homestead / Farmstead Exclusion
View more information regarding the State College Area School District Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion.
Real Estate Taxes Paid Through Mortgage Escrow Accounts
You may be one of the many property owners who pay their real estate taxes through your mortgage payment. When the tax becomes due, the bank takes the money from your escrow account and pays the taxes for you. A duplicate copy of the tax statement is sent to the bank and the original statement is mailed to the homeowner. Because of recent trends in the banking industry, mortgages are transferred from one institution to another quite frequently.
Escrow Accounts
Banks and mortgage companies are required to supply the Tax Office with an updated list of their escrow accounts before each tax billing, and only tax bills for those properties listed by parcel number on the updated list are forwarded to the mortgage company. A property owner must contact their mortgage company directly if their property was not listed on the updated escrow request.
Contact Information
For further information on this means of payment, contact the Tax Office in the State College Municipal Building.
Property Tax / Rent Rebate Programs
The Pennsylvania Property Tax/Rent Rebate program, available to qualified seniors and permanently disabled citizens, is administered by the Department of Revenue. Qualified claimants can be reimbursed for a portion of the amount paid in property taxes or rent in the previous year. Claimants or spouses, 65 years of age or older, widows or widowers 50 years of age or older and the permanently disabled 18 years of age or older may qualify for this program.
Qualification Requirements
To qualify, a claimant's annual household eligibility income must not exceed the annual limit. Claimants must file by June 30. For more information, contact the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue at 888-222-9190. Assistance may also be available by calling or visiting your local senior center, state legislator's office, or Pennsylvania Department of Revenue field office.