Localmedium impact · 5/10substantive180564

Council proposed bill would limit tax exemptions for homeowners with certain property improvements

Official:Amending Chapter 19-1300 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Real Estate Taxes," by limiting the exemption of certain real estate taxes for improvements to, or construction of, certain real properties; all under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember Gym

Introduced: May 24, 2018

: Committee on Finance

finance planning taxation

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2016–2019 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill limits tax exemptions for homeowners who make improvements to their properties. It ensures that the exemption is tied to the actual cost of the improvements and requires a separate assessment by the Board of Revision of Taxes.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Limits the exemption from real estate taxes for improvements to properties to the actual cost of those improvements.
Requires a separate assessment by the Board of Revision of Taxes for each improvement or construction project in order to qualify for the exemption.
Limits the exemption to only apply to City taxes, rather than both City and School District of Philadelphia taxes, for applications filed on or after July 1, 2018.
Ties the exemption amount to the additional assessment attributable to the actual cost of improvements to eligible property.